Author: Simon Pavey

hybrid or electric cars for commercial fleets

Electric or hybrid cars for commercial fleets?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

The cost of new vehicles is always a huge factor for fleet managers to consider. It can require capital investments worth thousands of pounds, which can have a serious impact on a business’ cash flow in the short term.

This decision isn’t one that can be ignored or put off, either. The government announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030 – so savvy commercial fleets are now looking to explore the world of electric and semi-electric vehicles. To help make this decision, we’re sharing our insights that should help cover all bases when choosing which types of vehicles to buy or lease.

One popular question we see fleet managers ask themselves is whether to choose between electric or hybrid cars, so this article will help to identify the types of hybrid and electric car, shine a light on the pros and cons of these different models, and provide some insight around how best to make that crucial decision.

Types of hybrid and electric car

While the first hybrid car (the Prius in 1997) looked completely different to anything else on the roads, this isn’t the case anymore. In fact, unlike their fully electric counterparts, you may not even realise you’re looking at a hybrid when you see one.

Hybrid vehicles bridge the gap between traditional vehicles that are powered by petrol or diesel and those that are completely powered by electric energy by combining a typical engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

As operators look to incorporate electric vehicle models into their fleets, it’s important to understand the range of options available in market. These include:

1. Parallel hybrids

This is the most common type, with an example being the Toyota Prius. It can be powered solely by the engine; solely by the motor; or using both together. Electricity is produced and stored when the brakes are applied.

2. Range extender

Like the BMW i3, the engine in these cars never drives the vehicle and is instead used to produce energy to recharge the batteries.

3. Plug-in hybrids

These cars can be charged while they are being driven, or by being plugged in at a designated charging point. The Mitsubishi Outlander is a good example.

You might also hear the terms ‘strong’ or ‘mild’, which simply refers to the amount of battery power available – strong hybrids can drive further than mild ones.

4. Fully electric cars

Full-electric cars require charging at compatible charging points every time they run flat, but have surprisingly low running costs once these have been established. An example is the SEAT Mii electric.

rear of white hybrid car

The key factors to consider

When choosing between electric and hybrid vehicles, consider the following.

Initial purchase cost

The initial purchase cost of any new vehicle is likely to be the most significant cost a business will incur during the vehicle’s lifespan. As of 2021, the average cost of a full-electric car is around £44,000, which of all car types is likely to be the most expensive option in the market.

Hybrid cars are typically around £4,000 more expensive than their cheaper petrol equivalents, and still undercut fully electric vehicles by up to around £10,000 when comparing models like-for-like – making them the middle-market option in terms of listing price.

It’s also important to consider the cost of charging points your fleet is likely to be facing. Different EVs require different types of charging stations, and a single charging point could cost up to £1500 – so nailing down charger compatibility is an important part of the buying process.

Running costs

Once you’ve purchased your electric or hybrid vehicle and established your charging requirements, it’s time to think about running costs.

The cost of fuel is considerably more expensive than the cost of electricity when considered like-for-like. One mile of unleaded for a typical UK hatchback could cost a driver around 18p, whereas an equivalent cost for a similar size of fully electric vehicle is likely to be around 0.025p.

For an SME running a fleet of taxis, this significant cost saving could really rack up with the kind of mileage drivers are likely to be covering, which could exceed 30,000 miles per year. Hybrid vehicles are able to enjoy some of the cost-saving benefits associated with using electricity over fuel, coming in at around 30% cheaper per mile than fuel powered vehicles, but this can vary depending on the type of hybrid your fleet utilises.

One additional point to consider in terms of daily running costs is charging point availability. If your electric vehicles aren’t getting access to an adequate network of charging stations while on long haul journeys, then it could increase the total duration of each trip and drive your overheads upward.

Just because you have an electric vehicle doesn’t mean you can’t continue to make great savings with a fuel card though. With the Shell Electric Vehicle Fuel Card, you can save 2p per kWh, and access over 7,500 nationwide charge points. You can even use it to pay for regular fuel, making the transition from fuel to electric even easier!

Environmental impact

There’s no doubt that electric vehicles are the most environmentally friendly option for commercial fleets in the UK, but hybrid vehicles do also go a long way to reducing driver’s fuel emissions.

From an ethical standpoint, having a fully electric fleet could position your business as eco-conscious to customers and prospective employees alike. If this shift is in fact inevitable, with the gradual phasing out of fuel-based vehicles rolling out, then it may be worth considering making the shift to a fully electric fleet sooner rather than later.

It’s also worth considering whether being more environmentally friendly could actually be cheaper for your fleet. There’s a good chance the UK government will introduce a carbon tax within the next twenty years, and that could see the cost per mile of running a hybrid vehicle increase. So, creating projections for the future that can factor into your business’ cash flow forecast may also help you decide between which electric vehicle models to acquire.

Range anxiety

The opinions of your drivers could also be a factor worth taking into consideration. Range anxiety, for example, could prove to be an issue for some. With fully electric vehicle technology still feeling alien to some, hybrid alternatives could potentially give drivers reassurance, and confidence in their routes.

What’s clear is that the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles is on the radar of virtually every major fleet operator in the UK. According to Arval figures, 25 percent of UK fleets have already begun adopting hybrid cars, so now is a better time than ever to start asking these questions and learning more about the market.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we specialise in helping businesses save money on their fuel costs. Electric technology may not be a fully viable option for all, and businesses can be making real cost savings today. With a fuel card from our range of branded cards, you could be making a real impact to your bottom line for every mile driven by your team.

Need help with the EV transition of your fleet? Take a look at our EV solutions; we’ve got a mix of options for paying for your EV charging, including a home charging solution and a range of EV Charge Cards.

Additionally, it’s important that you’re able to properly track your driver’s routes, and plan routes efficiently. Our Tele-Gence technology can be used to empower your drivers with this information. Live traffic updates can notify them of long traffic queues, enabling them to steer clear, and you’ll be given updates on their driving habits to understand whether they’re burning unnecessary fuel.

Tele-Gence also syncs seamlessly with your fuel card account, making them the perfect pairing for keeping your fuel costs and consumption as low as possible. Get in touch today and see how we could help you.

Birds eye view of toll road booth

Why do drivers use tolls roads in the UK?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Drivers on UK roads are likely to have encountered a toll road at some point. In fact, there are 23 toll roads in the UK, and 18 of those are river crossing. This means that they are often unavoidable.

But why do we have toll roads in the first place, and why do drivers sometimes opt to use them despite the charges?

What is a toll road?

A toll road is a stretch of road that requires drivers to pay a fee for driving on it. The charge per use can vary from 40p to £6 depending on which toll road you are using, what vehicle you are driving and the time of day.

You will encounter toll roads across the UK, but Scotland abolished their toll roads in 2008, so Scottish drivers need not worry about having to pay to drive on their own roads.

To pay a toll, vehicles have to come to a stop at toll booths, or “plazas”. At the booth, drivers are able to pay the charge. They can use debit or credit card – often with contactless payment available. Mobile options such as Apple Pay are being accepted at more UK tolls nowadays, but not all.

Many toll roads are no longer accepting cash as payment, so drivers must ensure they have an accepted payment method ready before starting their journey.

In fact, holders of Shell fuel cards can now use their card to pay the M6 toll, which is one of the busiest, most used toll roads in the UK.

Benefits of toll roads

Given that most UK roads are free to use, you might be asking yourself why anyone would be inclined to use a road that requires a payment.

However, toll roads do have certain benefits that, for some, makes paying a fee worthwhile.

In theory, using toll roads will save time. This is great for businesses needing to deliver goods across the country in a hurry. It also means vehicles spend less time burning fuel. It could work out that paying for the toll is cheaper overall than continuously driving on another route and burning a few pounds worth of fuel.

When the M6 toll was in it’s infancy, it was estimated that drivers would save 45 minutes driving near Birmingham if they used the road. However, the amount of time saved is closer to 25 minutes when compared with the non-toll road. The original M6 is well known for build ups of traffic and long delays, however, so you can see why a business might want their vehicles using the toll.

Birds eye view of traffic at toll booth

The money from the tolls is used to maintain the rods themselves. This tends to mean that toll roads are very well maintained and smooth to drive on. Compared to a back road that may be covered in potholes that could damage your vehicle and its cargo, this makes a toll road seem like a desirable option.

Can UK toll roads be avoided?

For drivers who are adamant that they don’t want to pay the toll, there are often alternatives. The obvious example of this is the M6 toll, which can be avoided by continuing on the M6 when travelling through Birmingham.

However, the Mersey tunnel tolls near Liverpool are considered to be fairly unavoidable. Other tolls such as the Tyne tunnel are avoidable, but require fairly time consuming details.

As there is no set rule as to whether a toll road can be avoided, it is vital the you plan your routes beforehand. This is especially true if you are sending one of your drivers on a new, unfamiliar route.

Your satnav will probably direct you to a toll road as it is usually the fastest option. If you want to avoid them, make sure you adjust the settings on your satnav. Otherwise, you might find yourself approaching a toll road with no viable alternative.

Don’t let toll roads drain your finances

Sometimes, you can’t avoid going through a toll. For businesses, it might be the difference between getting a delivery to it’s destination on time.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to just sit and watch the money draining from your account. There are things fleet managers can do to negate the toll costs!

We mentioned a fuel card earlier, but they do a lot more than help drivers pay for toll roads! With the right fuel card, you can save up to 10p per litre on fuel. Consolidated HMRC approved invoices also mean you can save a great deal of time on admin too!

You can also improved MPG by 20% with a tracking system such as TeleGence! Consistent reporting and real-time tracking mean you can help to improve the way your drivers control your vehicles. Say goodbye to aggressive steering and braking!

Get in touch with Fuel Card Services today and see how we can help to save those precious pennies for your business!

woman charging electric vehicle whilst using phone

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Drivers have been sceptical about how long it takes to charge an electric car since they began to increase in popularity towards the end of the 2000s.

It’s understandable since drivers are used to filling up their vehicles with fuel in a matter of minutes. Of course, with electric vehicles, it isn’t that simple.

We have to charge our cars just like we charge our phones – it can be a slow process that we often do overnight.

How fast can you charge an electric car?

Of course, the rate at which you can expect your vehicle to charge depends on two main factors (and a few smaller ones).

Firstly, how large is your battery? A Mercedes EQV 300 has a capacity of 90kWh. However, a Nissan Leaf e+ has a battery capacity of 56kWh. Therefore, regardless of other factors, the Nissan is likely to charge faster as there is less capacity to charge.

The second factor to consider is the rate of the charger you are using. There are different types of EV charger, which we’ll get into below.

Knowing these two figures can help you easily determine how long it will take to charge your electric vehicle. This can be helpful when planning long journeys, or how to fit charging around your work schedule.

You can determine the time you’ll need by doing the following calculation:

Battery Size ÷ Charging Speed = Time Needed to Charge Vehicle

What are the different types of EV charger?

There are three main types of EV charger – rapid, fast and slow. As you can imagine, they are named for the speed at which they will charge your vehicle.

Rapid chargers

If you have access to rapid charging, you’ll be getting the fastest charging on the market. These chargers can provide anywhere from 40kW to 150kW depending on the model of charger and vehicle.

Rapid DC chargers are the most common rapid charging points and use CHAdeMO or CCS charging standards. They provide power at 50kW, meaning a vehicle with a battery capacity of 50kWh would take exactly one hour to fully charge.

However, Rapid DC isn’t the fastest! Ultra-Rapid DC provides power at double the amount of a Rapid DC charger. These charge points are designed to accommodate the fact that as EV technology develops, battery sizes are increasing. Ultra-Rapid DC keeps charging time down despite extra capacities.

Tesla drivers have also had access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. However, Elon Musk announced that the network is being made available to other types of vehicles towards the end of this year. On a similar note, owners of older Tesla models could use adapters to connect with other Rapid DC chargers, but all newer models are being made compatible with CCS charging.

Woman plugging charger into electric vehicle

Fast chargers

The most common faster chargers are rated at 7kW or 22kW, and tend to provide AC charging instead of the DC charging offered by Rapid chargers. Fast chargers are often found at home charging points, but can be seen in public parking places such as supermarkets where you are likely to park for at least an hour.

Most 7kW chargers are untethered, meaning drivers can attach their own charging cables. If a charge point is tethered, it means that only vehicles compatible with the attached cable can be used.

The Type 2 connector is the most common charge point standard. Most EVs have the capacity to connect to them, so it is beneficial to have as many of them in our charging infrastructure as possible.

Slow chargers

Slow chargers are said to be rated at 3kW, but the most common of them rated at 3.6kW. Slow charging includes the use of drawing from the mains with a three-pin plug.

This offers a good deal of options when it comes to charging away from home. If you are visiting another household, for example, you can plug your car into the mains and charge. The owner of the home does not need to have an EV charge point installed. However, most authorities on the subject do not recommend using a three-pin plug as an alternative to a dedicated EV charger.

Slow chargers are ideal for workplace and home parking, as vehicles tend to be left stationary for long periods of time. They wouldn’t be convenient at service stations for obvious reasons.

Making the transition to EVs

We know that EV infrastructure is improving rapidly every year, and we know that battery life and range is steadily increasing too.

Consider what is stopping you from shifting your business towards an EV fleet. Is it something Fuel Card Services could help with?

Many readers may already be getting cheaper fuel with a fuel card, but switching to an electric vehicle doesn’t mean you can’t continue reaping this benefit. With the Shell Electric Vehicle Fuel Card, you’ll save 2p per kWh when you charge. You can also use the Shell EV Card to pay for regular fuel, if you want to make a gradual transition to EVs.

For example, we can keep your servicing and maintenance costs low with MyService.Expert, helping to keep your vehicles on the road consistently.

If you’re still concerned about range, we can help you make a full charge of battery go further with our Tele-Gence tracking system. If improved safety and automated reporting aren’t enough, you can find the most optimised routes to stop your drivers from burning through unnecessary charge!

Get in touch today and find out what we could do to help you make the switch to electric vehicles.

Navigating congestion charges

A Guide to Congestion Charges

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

The first congestion charge was introduced to London in 2003 by its first mayor, Ken Livingstone. It sought to charge drivers within a designated zone at a fixed daily rate for using the busy London streets between 7am and 6pm.

Since then, various UK cities have begun introducing congestion zones of their own, using the existing London model as a blueprint. For businesses operating within these zones, having a full understanding of what charges are likely to be incurred could be crucial to saving costs and making routes more efficient.

What’s more, congested traffic can prove to be a hindrance for fleets, even before additional charges are considered – as the time taken to complete journeys lengthens for each affected driver.

In this article, we’ll explain congestion charges using London as an example, before exploring the types of exemptions that may benefit of commercial fleet operators. We’ll also look at congestion more broadly, and suggest how commercial fleets could combat it.

What is a congestion charge?

When introduced, the congestion charge in London stood at around £5 per vehicle. It has increased considerably over the years to £15 in 2021, and is always visible on the Transport for London website.

The charge applies to any vehicle driving in the congestion zone between designed hours, which have also changed with time. As of 2021, the charge applies to drivers operating between 07:00-22:00 on any day – except from Christmas day.

The zone itself covers 3.8 million people. Naturally, many businesses operate in this area for a range of different purposes – from delivering commercial goods to local sellers, to providing food delivery and taxi services to residents – so this cost shouldn’t be taken lightly by fleet operators.

Congestion charges for fleets

If operators of commercial fleets plan to have their drivers operate within the congestion zone, one tip from us would be to consider exploring advance payments. That’s because failing to pay the congestion charge on the day it’s due can result in the daily fee increasing to £17.50; a slight increase that could have a significant impact for an SME that has many vehicles operating in the area.

Automatic payment options are available via the TfL website which could prove helpful, and there’s even an app that enables drivers to pay conveniently. Read more around payment.

Not all drivers have to pay the congestion charges, however. Let’s take a look at which exemptions apply.

Congestion charge exemptions

If you’re asking yourself ‘do I need to pay congestion charge?’ – or at least whether your drivers do, first read this list of exemptions, which apply if the vehicle in question is recorded at the DVLA as falling into one of the following categories:

  • Two-wheeled motorbikes, sidecars, and mopeds. Particularly for last mile deliveries, commercial fleets may choose to use these vehicles within the congestion zone without running the risk of incurring additional daily charges.
  • Taxis licensed by the London Taxi and Private Hire (TPH). Fleet operators that are actively registered with this taxi body are exempt from congestion charges, however this does not apply to private hire vehicles – although some may qualify for congestion charge discounts.

Fleet News reported that recent changes to congestion zone restrictions could cost commercial fleets up to £54m, and so first checking for exemptions, then calculating how the congestion charges impact the cost of your routes seems a sensible place to start for fleet managers. More broadly speaking, it’s also important to consider the impact congestion could have upon your delivery times – and the knock-on costs this may result in.

Why is congestion so costly to businesses?

Obviously, the more time your drivers spend on the road, the more productive your business will be. However, what happens to the productivity of your fleet when your drivers are stuck in congestion?

Unfortunately, the average delivery driver for example spends up to 16% of their drive time sat in congestion. Assuming your drivers are on the road for 8 hours a day, they’ll spend an entire 37 days a year sat in traffic. Your business is paying the drivers, but their productivity is being stunted by congestion.

With fuel costs rising steadily over the last few months, you want to make sure every penny of fuel is being utilised to its maximum potential. Sending drivers out on deliveries for them to be sat in traffic for almost a fifth of their entire day certainly isn’t making the most of your fuel.

Cars stuck in traffic

What can be done to combat congestion?

The most obvious solution to avoid the worst congestion in the UK is to examine your route. Is there an alternative way your drivers could be going? A route that takes you around the edge of a city, for example, would of course take longer in terms of mileage, but would it actually save time by avoiding the heavy congestion? After all, you’ll burn more fuel stopping and starting your vehicle than moving continuously at a steady speed.

If you are caught in traffic, remember that gentle acceleration in the highest safe gear will keep your fuel consumption low – and it may be wise to remind your drivers of simple tips like these that can promote good fuel-economy.

Unfortunately, there sometimes isn’t too much you can do to avoid heavy traffic jams. If your route requires that you drive through an area prone to heavy congestion, could your route be driven at a different time? Driving outside of rush hour will of course reduce your chances of getting caught in heavy traffic.

Additionally, consider whether you could remove any unnecessary weight from your vehicle. The heavier your vehicle, the more fuel you will burn when stopping and starting in traffic. Remember that more fuel will be burned if you are using your car’s other systems such as air conditioning or heating. If you get stuck in traffic, open a window instead.

As a fleet manager, it’s wise to ensure your drivers are aware of these tips. They may also have handy tips of their own that you could share around by opening up an internal discussion on handling congestion.

Which UK cities have the worst congestion?

The amount of congestion that a city experiences is measured in a percentage. For example, if a journey should take 10 minutes (judging by the distance and speed limits) but the city in question has a congestion level of 50%, the journey is more likely to take 15 minutes to complete.

The five most congested cities in the UK are:

Edinburgh – 41%
(Global rank – 33)

London – 38%
(Global rank – 45)

Brighton & Hove – 35%
(Global rank – 63)

Bournemouth – 34%
(Global rank – 69)

Hull – 34%
(Global rank – 73)

Belfast, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester and Reading are also not far behind with congestion levels between 32% – 33%.

Hull, Brighton and Bournemouth being so high is particularly interesting. None of them are within the top 15 largest UK cities by population. London and Edinburgh being the two most congested cities is not so surprising on the other hand, since they are both capital cities of their respective countries.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we specialise in helping businesses save money on their fuel costs. With a fuel card from our range of branded cards, you could be making a real impact to your bottom line for every mile driven by your team.

Additionally, it’s important that you’re able to properly track your driver’s routes, and plan routes efficiently. Our Tele-Gence technology can be used to empower your drivers with this information. Live traffic updates can notify them of long traffic queues, enabling them to steer clear, and you’ll be given updates on their driving habits to understand whether they’re burning unnecessary fuel.

Tele-Gence also syncs seamlessly with your fuel card account, making them the perfect pairing for keeping your fuel costs and consumption as low as possible. Get in touch today and see how we could help you.

Petrol pouring into tank

What Happens When You Put The Wrong Fuel In A Car?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

So, you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car. It’s a surprisingly easy mistake to make that plenty of drivers have made. In fact, What Car? It suggests that someone puts the wrong fuel in their car every three and a half minutes in the UK!

If you’ve put the incorrect fuel in your tank, acting quickly and effectively to resolve this issue is essential. Failure to do so could cause lasting damage to your vehicle. So, what are the next steps?

Is my car petrol or diesel?

To determine whether your car is petrol or diesel, you can start by checking the fuel cap or door, where the fuel type is usually indicated. Alternatively, consult your car’s owner’s manual or look at the vehicle registration document, which will specify the fuel type.

If you’re still unsure, the engine’s sound can provide a clue. Diesel engines are louder and have a distinct clattering noise, while petrol engines are quieter and smoother.

You can also check under the hood. Diesel engines often have a larger, more robust structure with additional components, such as turbochargers.

If you want to be absolutely certain, the best course of action would be to refer to the manufacturer’s details or visit a mechanic.

The impact of putting the wrong fuel in a car

The most important thing to do when you have misfuelled is not to start the engine under any circumstance. Starting the car with incorrect fuel in the tank could cause lasting, costly damage. The AA suggests that you remove the keys from the ignition immediately.

How much can it cost if you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car?

If you haven’t started the engine, the cost of having a specialist drain the fuel tank will be around £190, but if the motor is ignited, it could be closer to £5,000.

Try to get the car to a safe spot. Put the vehicle in neutral at a petrol station and push it to a safe place; you should get someone to assist you.

Call your breakdown provider immediately once your vehicle is in an appropriate location. They’ll have specialists available to drain your car’s system and make it safe to refuel again.

The impact of different fuel types on different car engines

Different fuel types have different properties and varying effects on a car engine.

Putting petrol in a diesel car

It’s incredibly easy to put petrol into a diesel car due to the size of the nozzle. Unfortunately, it’s also highly damaging to do this. What’s essential is not to start your car’s engine if you’ve made this mistake.

Check out our petrol insights here.

What happens if you put petrol in a diesel car

If you were to start your engine, you would likely hear a loud knocking noise when accelerating.

How far can you drive with petrol in a diesel car?

If your vehicle starts, you’re unlikely to get far, and it will quickly become apparent that something is critically wrong.

That’s because diesel acts as a lubricant that helps the fuel pump work as it should. Petrol, however, will increase the friction in your diesel engine, meaning the fuel pump will meet heavy resistance and become damaged. You could be looking at replacing the fuel pumps and other components or even replacing the entire engine if the petrol is allowed to wreak enough havoc on your vehicle.

What if I only put a small amount of petrol in a diesel engine?

If you’ve put a minuscule amount of petrol in your engine, it may run smoothly without noticing the impact. However, our recommendation is always to have your tank adequately drained. The risk of having an engine repaired is pretty substantial, so paying a small fee to drain an engine is probably a wiser decision in the long run.

Putting diesel in a petrol car – Will a diesel nozzle fit in a petrol car UK?

You’ll struggle to fit the diesel nozzle into a petrol car, so the chances of this happening are much lower. However, there are some instances where this accident can occur.

Putting diesel in a petrol car also causes less damage to the vehicle. The diesel fuel will clog the system rather than cause lasting damage.

What happens if you put diesel in a petrol car

You may quickly become aware that you’ve misfuelled your car as your engine starts to misfire – and there’s a good chance your vehicle won’t start at all. However, once the fuel is drained from the system, you can return to petrol, and everything should work as usual!

E10 in an incompatible vehicle and is my car E10 compatible?

In 2021, the UK transitioned from E5 to E10 petrol. This fuel contains 10% renewable ethanol, whereas E5 only includes 5%. This has helped the country significantly reduce its CO2 emissions—the equivalent of removing all the petrol vehicles from North Yorkshire!

However, some older cars are not compatible with E10. It’s estimated that around 600,000 vehicles on UK roads will not accept it.

Putting E10 in an incompatible vehicle shouldn’t cause too much damage. If you were to do this repeatedly, your vehicle’s internal structure could suffer due to the bioethanol’s corrosive properties.

You can also mix E10 and E5. Therefore, if you end up with an E10 in your incompatible vehicle, add some E5 as soon as possible.

Refuelling an engine

How can drivers avoid misfuelling in future?

When drivers put the wrong fuel in their vehicles, it’s usually because they aren’t paying attention. This is easily done after a long day of work or an early start.

Remember that the colour of the hose and nozzle isn’t always consistent. If you’re at a fuelling station you aren’t familiar with, don’t just pick up the hose that is the colour you are used to using. Be sure to read the signage properly—the pump should specify whether it is petrol, diesel, or something else.

The AA suggests putting a reminder on the inside of the fuel cap to double-check that you are using the correct pump.

Why can’t I use my phone at a fuel pump?

It’s easy to be on autopilot whilst refuelling, but you don’t want to look up from your phone and realise you’ve had the wrong hose inserted into your vehicle!

Most forecourts have a strict policy where you are not allowed to use your mobile phone at the pump, and the attendant may cut off the flow of fuel if they suspect you’re distracted while refueling. This is to prevent possible damage to your car, and damage to the forecourt if you let fuel spill.

Find a fuel station near you by clicking here.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

You never know when an accident, such as misfueling, will wreak havoc on your vehicle. A maintenance plan is essential for catching issues before they cause further damage. That’s where MyService.Expert comes in.

With MyService.Expert, you can simplify your business’ vehicle maintenance with pre-negotiated rates at thousands of primary dealers and independent garages across the UK.

A proper service plan means less downtime and saves you hours of admin work.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help your business.