Martin Lewis has shared top tips for drivers who are looking to save money on petrol and diesel, including the best time to fill up and when to use ‘better fuel’
Martin Lewis has advised motorists never to hit the garage for fuel at 5pm.
The host of BBC Sounds podcast and regular on ITV shared that those who choose to fill up their cars in the evenings are tipped to get just a “little bit more” petrol or diesel. He revealed: “Talk of filling up at night getting you more is a slight urban myth, as the difference is minuscule pennies at best. Fuel pumps are calibrated by volume, so fill up at night when it’s colder and you get a tiny, tiny bit extra.”
According to MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), drivers stand to gain mildly more petrol if they fuel up at night. The rationale? Well, as the temperature falls at night, fuel pumps dispense volume-calibrated fuel, which means you end up with a fraction more fuel if fill-ups happen when the mercury drops.
MSE also advises motorists to fuel-up the moment their tank registers fifty miles left to empty. This tactic gives plenty time to scout for the best bargains, rather than hastily settling for the first encountered deal when dangerously low on fuel, reports Birmingham Live.
MSE further suggests using ‘premium fuel’ only if your car can cope with it: “Many petrol stations sell “high performance” fuels, yet there’s little or no performance difference for most non-performance cars. So only fill up with the super-fuels if you have a sports car or you’ve been specifically advised that your car will actually use the petrol correctly.”
Rebecca Bebbington, a personal finance expert at NetVoucherCodes, advised: “Petrol prices can fluctuate throughout the day, with prices typically lower during off-peak hours. Try to fill up your tank early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of potentially lower prices. “Avoid peak times such as midday and after 5pm when the majority of the country finishes work.”
It comes as expert Lewis says people need to report a specific eight-word message should they receive it. Mr Lewis urged: “Please report ‘sorry we are experiencing unusually high call volumes’ messages. We’ve had 20,000 reports in so far to test if some firms (banks, broadband, mobile, energy, water etc) have this for EVERY call. Pls take 30s to report it.”
