Kids cost parent taxi-drivers dear, says AA

Mums & Dads are clocking up 2,000 miles per year taxi-ing their kids on the school run and to after-school and weekend activities, AA Financial Services has found.

An AA/Populus poll of 2,128 AA members who have schoolchildren showed that the average family is spending over £340 a year on fuel just taking their kids to school and elsewhere.  Some parents (11%) travel up to 4,000 miles per year, forking out a whopping £687 on fuel.  

With the cost of fuel set to continue rising, the average UK family's school run fuel bill is likely to jump up by around £60 a year - and over double that for some.

The poll also showed that 10% of parents with children regularly take their children to school and after-school activities by car.

Mark Huggins, director of AA Financial Services says: "Many families can make economies in their weekly outgoings but they are stuck with essential driving such as the school run and have to fork out for ever more costly fuel.

"Although the AA lobbies the Government and the fuel industry it's hard to keep prices in check, the latest increase in fuel duty, on top of underlying fuel price rises, just piles on the £'s for parents."                         

But according to AA Financial Services, there are ways to help mitigate the runaway cost of motoring.

Families can make a significant saving by using the new AA Credit Card, which offers cash back on all fuel spend, especially those who are AA members.                                

The card earns two points for each £1 spent on fuel and other motoring purchases and one point for each £1 spent on other shopping for AA members.  Non-members earn half that rate.

A typical family will now need an annual budget of over £3,000 to buy unleaded petrol.  Using the AA Credit Card, the cash back return for spending this sum would be worth £30.00 for an AA member (£15.00 for a non-member) on fuel alone.  Points are worth at least twice the cash back value if they are redeemed on goods and services from a wide range of popular high-street retailers or from the AA.

Huggins adds: "Because fuel hits voters hard in the pocket, rising prices could also become an election issue. 

"But drivers can help themselves save a penny or two at the pumps by shopping around and gaining double points relative to other non-motoring spend, by paying with their AA Credit Card."