Shopping around for cheaper fuel could be a waste of time and money

With fuel prices predicted to be on the increase again, research commissioned by Gocompare.com found that as many as 6 million UK drivers could end up wasting money by driving out of their way to find cheaper petrol or diesel.
 
The study of 2,000 UK drivers revealed that 13%, or 3.5 million drivers, would travel up to 10 miles out of their way to save 5p per litre on fuel. Another 9%, or 2.5 million drivers, would travel 20 miles or more out of their way to make a 5p per litre saving.
 
A 5p per litre saving on an average top-up of £38.81 would save just £1.40 for petrol and £1.34 for diesel. Researchers at Gocompare.com have estimated that with petrol prices predicted to hit 140 pence per litre, driving a common petrol engine car, such as a Ford Focus 1.6 Duratec, with an average combined fuel efficiency of around 40 miles per gallon, the benefit of a 5p per litre saving on an average £38.81 top-up would be cancelled out by an extra 9 mile round trip for cheaper fuel.However, with a car's fuel consumption rated in miles per gallon (MPG) and fuel sold in litres, Gocompare.com believes many drivers find it difficult to calculate how many miles they can drive for their money.
 
Just 13% of drivers know how many miles they can drive per litre of fuel compared to 41% who know their approximate MPG. A fifth (20%) of drivers think fuel stations should display prices in gallons as well as litres.
 
Scott Kelly, head of motor services at Gocompare.com, said: "With fuel prices heading up again it's not surprising that motorists will go out of their way to find cheaper petrol and diesel. However, what this research shows is that millions of motorists could be spending more on fuel in the hunt for the most competitive petrol stations, than they stand to save on their fuel when they get there. For drivers getting less than an average of around 45 MPG from their car, an extra 10 mile round trip to get cheaper fuel could result in you paying more for an average top-up. And the 2.5 million drivers who would travel 20 miles or more out of their way for a 5p per litre saving would almost certainly lose money.
 
"If you do drive out of your way to find cheaper fuel make sure you buy enough when you get there to make driving the extra distance worthwhile. Otherwise, using a reasonably priced station on your usual route will make more sense than driving further to save a few pence per litre."