Shop Around for Fuel and Save £6 Every Fill-Up

Choosing the right forecourt rather than the nearest one could save a typical driver around £6 every time they fill up, according to official UK fuel price data covering nearly 8,000 forecourts across the country.

The average price of E10 unleaded currently sits at 150.7p a litre, but that figure masks a wide spread. The cheapest forecourts are selling petrol at around 144.9p a litre, while the most expensive are charging close to 155.9p. That gap of roughly 11p a litre adds up to about £6 on a standard 50-litre fill, and over a year of regular driving the saving can reach well into the hundreds of pounds for anyone who fills up weekly.

Diesel drivers face even higher base costs, with the national average at 164.5p a litre, so the pound value of any saving is similarly higher when prices vary between sites. The same principle applies: filling up at a cheaper forecourt rather than a convenient but pricier one puts money back in your pocket without changing anything about how you drive or maintain your car.

The practical step is simply to check nearby prices before you need fuel rather than waiting until the warning light comes on and pulling into wherever is closest. Supermarket forecourts tend to sit at the lower end of the price range, while motorway services consistently top the table for expense, so avoiding the motorway pump when you can is one of the easiest wins available to any driver.

For anyone looking to keep their overall motoring costs down, fuel is one of the few running expenses where a small habit change delivers an immediate and measurable result. Garage.co.uk covers practical tips like this alongside maintenance advice, repair guides and motoring news, all written for everyday drivers rather than specialists.