Simon Pavey, Author at Fuel Card Services

Man with fuel card opening fuel tank of his car

When did you last review your business’ fuel card deal?

Posted on 18th December 2020 | by Simon Pavey

Not reviewing the service providers your business uses is an easy habit to fall into. When you’re already busy with your day-to-day tasks, checking if you’re getting the best deal from your current provider falls to the bottom of your already lengthy to do last.

But when did you last review your fuel card deal? When you are thinking about your company’s current deal, there are a few things that you need to think about.

How much money can I save?

First and foremost, the big question you should be asking yourself is how much money will this save the business? When buying a product like fuel that has frequent price changes, it’s important to make sure that your supplier is keeping to the deal they promised you.

By comparing deals by fuel card providers, you can compare how your current deal stacks up against other providers. Some providers fix the price of fuel to below that at the pump, while others pass on savings made by sourcing their fuel from competitively priced suppliers, so each provider will present different savings.

Many fuel card accounts also let you generate reports, or download your fuel usage data for custom reporting, so you have all the information you need to analyse expenditure and avoid fuel fraud.

How convenient is my fuel card?

The price you pay at the pump might not necessarily be the only thing you’re concerned about when considering a fuel card. The convenience your card offers you should also play a big part in making a decision.

Each card offers varying coverage throughout the UK, and one may be more suitable than others depending on your business’ needs. For instance, the Allstar One fuel card offers the widest coverage and is targeted at customers who value convenience over price, with access to over 7,600 sites across the UK, including 120 motorway sites, ideal for cars and LCV fleets.

Whereas, the Shell CRT card has access to over 1,000 sites at all Shell-branded service stations, but has fixed weekly prices, with no regional price difference. This card is recommended for HGVs and LCVs and it is ideal for HGVs and LCVs travelling on motorways and main roads.

Comparing the level of convenience your card offers you with other fuel cards that are available is an important part of making a decision when reviewing your business’ current deal. Use our comparison page to find out what coverage is offered by our range of fuel cards.

What other benefits does my current card offer?

Some cards offer a range of benefits that may be useful to you and your business, such as supermarket loyalty points. Purchases made with some fuel cards are eligible for loyalty points such as BPMe, Shell Go+ and Tesco Clubcard. Simply present the appropriate loyalty card when paying for your fuel and the points will be added to your account.

Many cards don’t just offer savings on fuel, but managing servicing, tolls, expenses and much, much more. So, remember to review the added benefits that your current fuel card offers you against that of other providers.

Whether you’re running small business with a single vehicle, or a large national business with a fleet of vehicles, be sure to take the time to review your current fuel card to ensure you’re getting the best deal. You might find that there’s options out there better suited to your business. To find out more about the range of fuel cards we have available and which ones would work best for your business needs, contact us today and one of our expert team will be happy to help.

Is Premium Fuel Worth It?

Posted on 16th December 2020 | by Simon Pavey

It’s a question you may ask yourself while filling your car and staring at the pumps. Is that more expensive premium petrol on the nozzle next to the standard fuel worth the extra cost? And if so, what’s the best premium fuel in the UK?

Premium fuel vs standard fuel

Read on to understand the differences and determine whether opting for more expensive premium petrol and diesel is worth it for your fleet.

The different types of fuel

Most filling stations will offer two types of petrol for your vehicle – standard unleaded and super unleaded. The ‘unleaded’ description remains, even though no leaded fuel has been sold in the UK for years.

What is premium unleaded fuel and super unleaded fuel

Confusingly, standard unleaded is sometimes referred to as ‘premium unleaded’, even though it’s the most essential fuel type. The more expensive options are labelled as ‘super unleaded’.

Read this RAC guide on ‘What is the best fuel for my car? The definitive guide to different fuel types’ for further information about different fuel types.

Branded premium fuel

You can expect this at most filling stations, such as supermarkets. However, many branded stations, such as those run by BP or Shell, also offer their premium fuel formula.

Find out if the supermarket fuel warning is valid here.

For example, Shell stations call this V-Power, while BP stations call it BP Ultimate. Premium fuels typically cost around ten per cent more than standard fuel, though this can vary.

What’s the difference between premium fuel and standard petrol?

The octane rating is the main difference between standard fuel and souped-up premium petrol.

What is a fuel octane rating?

Without getting too technical, this refers to the amount of fuel that can be compressed before it ignites inside the engine.

Generally speaking, the more you can compress the fuel, the more energy will be released, resulting in better performance.

The octane rating is expressed as a research octane number (RON). Regular fuel sold in the UK has an octane rating of 95, whereas premium fuel typically has an octane rating of 97 or 98.

However, some brands’ premium fuel offers even more octane performance. Shell V-Power, for example, offers 99 RON petrol, the most widely available fuel in the UK.

What is premium diesel fuel?

The chemistry of premium diesel is slightly different, but the principle remains the same.

What is a diesel cetane rating?

Because diesel isn’t ignited, it has a rating system called cetane. Most diesel in the UK has a cetane rating between 45 and 55.

As with petrol, the higher the rating, the faster and more efficiently it will burn in your engine, delivering better performance.

Branded premium diesel

Many fuel stations will only have a single option available, so you may not always have a choice if you’re driving a diesel car. However, some brands offer premium diesel, such as Shell’s V-Power Diesel.

Is premium fuel better for your vehicle?

According to their supporters, premium fuels improve performance. Because high-octane fuels release more energy, you can use your engine more efficiently.

However, this is only likely to affect certain vehicles—those already classified as high-performance.

Exactly which cars this covers can be vague, but it typically includes hot hatches, sports cars, and tuned vehicles with powerful engines.

You can’t turn a run-of-the-mill car into a performance vehicle just by adding premium fuel, though, and it won’t affect the amount of horsepower the engine generates.

Is premium fuel worth it? And does premium fuel last longer?

While premium fuels often promise to improve your fuel economy, the evidence for this is limited to most cars. For example, independent tests by What Car? stated that premium fuel is usually an “unnecessary expense” as it offers “no major fuel economy benefit”.

Fleet vehicle cost savings

However, even a minor economic improvement could mean savings for fleet vehicles, especially high-mileage cars. Considering this, it could be worth seeing if you can spot a measurable difference.

Fuel additive benefits

Another factor is that many brands’ premium fuel offerings include a unique blend of additives that promise to improve lubrication and reduce engine wear and tear.

Again, this is something that’s only likely to be an issue for performance cars with top-of-the-range engines. As standard fuel still has to meet minimum legal requirements, cheaper petrol or diesel cannot damage an engine.

The size of your fleet

Whether premium fuel is worth it for your fleet vehicles will depend on the size of your fleet, the types of vehicles you use, the amount of money you have to spend, and the outcomes you are looking for from the investment. Premium fuel might be worth it for some company car fleets, for instance, where the vehicles are newer and superior models, but this isn’t the case for many.

Wear and tear

On the other hand, there might be some potential benefits for vehicles ten years or older with high mileage because of the additive benefits against wear and tear. However, this isn’t guaranteed. There could be benefits to a ‘trial and error’ use of premium fuel to see if your drivers notice any benefits that might make this premium fuel worth the cost.

Choosing the right fuel for your needs

When your fleet is ready, you must know what’s best for your vehicles. This may be straightforward for company-owned vehicles, but it is less so if employees fuel their own cars on a business account.

For more information on managing fuel for SMEs, you can read our informative UK fuel guide.

Vehicle handbook

Our best advice is to refer to the vehicle’s handbook when deciding which fuel to use. The handbook will usually tell you if the engine would benefit from fuel with a higher octane rating. If it doesn’t, you shouldn’t allow drivers to spend extra money on these premium fuels, as any improved fuel economy probably won’t cover the difference.

Car running costs and fuel costs

When managing a fleet, it is essential to consider all the other car running costs and fuel costs.

Find out more in our guide all about the typical cost of running a car.

Fuel cards with Fuel Card Services

However, if the manufacturer recommends premium fuel, the right fuel card is essential to ensure drivers can use it.

For example, fuel cards like the Shell One, Esso Commercial, or BP Plus provide access to these brands’ filling stations. Thus, you can quickly fill up with these providers’ premium offerings wherever you are.

Contact us today to learn more about our various fuel cards and which would best suit your unique needs. Our expert team will be happy to help.

Lorry driving along European highway at sunset

Tele-gence telematics technology, what does it track?

Posted on 11th December 2020 | by Simon Pavey

Telematics is nothing new, most of us know what it does. But, when you really look into the telematics market, you’ll see that they’re not all the same.

What is telematics?

In basic terms, a telematics system is a vehicle tracking device that is stored in a vehicle that allows the sending, receiving and storing of telemetry data. This data can include location, speed, harsh acceleration or braking, fuel consumption, vehicle faults and more.

For fleet managers, telematics technology can help fleets achieve great operational improvements in key areas such as:

Decreased fuel costs: Telematics can help fleet managers identify areas of waste, like vehicle idling or fuel slippage. This means those issues can be addressed promptly and this positively impacts fuel efficiency.
Improved safety: Continuous feedback on driving style and behaviour will let fleet managers coach drivers and reduce unwanted driving habits, like speeding or harsh braking.
Elevated productivity: With near real-time GPS system data, drivers can help avoid delays in traffic and plan for inclement weather. Back office managers can then quickly attribute any additional site visits to the closest vehicle and instruct them on the best route to get them there.
Better payroll management: By tracking the precise time a vehicle starts to the moment it shuts down at the end of the day, fleet managers have an accurate, automated record of how long an employee worked. This can help business owners verify that employees are paid accurately for the hours the worked while eliminated time spend manually matching up timesheets to job tickets.

Powerful, intelligent tracking with tele-gence

Tele-gence telematics is an affordable, intelligent, user-friendly tracking system that can help reduce costs and add value to your fleet. Tele-gence telematics is suitable for all vehicle types and any size of fleet.

24/7 vehicle tracking

With satellite and hybrid mapping, using international roaming SIMs and the best networks, you can track your fleets position 24 hours a day, in real time. Tele-gence also comes with impact detection, alerting you to any vehicle or assets incidents and their location, ensuring the maximum coverage.

Fuel cost management

Thanks to direct integration with fuel card data, Tele-gence helps to monitor costs and reduce spend, as well as offering protection against any fraudulent transactions. Tele-gence can be easily integrated with your fuel cards, providing accurate and improved MPG by up to 20% by improving driving patterns and behaviour, reducing fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear.

Driving behaviour

Tele-gence allows you to tailor driver behaviour scores that help you determine your best and worst drivers. The system gives you a score for each driver against every journey taken. This then enables you to spot dangerous drivers quickly, helping to improve safety, fuel consumption, maintenance costs and helps you to comply with legislation.

The driver reports offer a clear and detailed view of drivers harsh braking, accelerating and cornering, so you can identify the drivers in your fleet that need to modify their behaviour.

Custom alerts

Tele-gence is fully customizable, providing you with a telematics solution tailored to your requirements, giving your greater knowledge and control over your fleet. You can set custom alerts to:

Provide vehicle speed vs speed limit violations
Identify moving outset set hours of work
Let you know when a vehicle enters or exits any of your zones
Remind you when a vehicle needs servicing, MOT is due for any repairs

You set the parameters and how you want to receive the information with a completely customisable reporting platform to give you valuable insight into your fleet.

Connected cameras

As well as tracking your fleets vehicles, cameras greatly enhance your visibility and the protection of your drivers. In an event of an incident, you can receive a customisable alert without ever having to physically access the SD card using our cameras.

The camera integrates directly into the software, making the footage visible and downloadable from the platform in high definition at the point the incident occurs. A blind spot and a 360 camera option is also available.

Personal tracking

Tele-gence can also provide personal trackers for staff on foot or bike. The trackers are easily concealed in clothing, bags or pockets making them very discreet. You can also choose how frequently you want the device to report its location.

Tele-gence personal trackers can also come with panic buttons which send alerts directly into the platform. In the software, you can choose to be informed by email or SMS (fees apply), giving peace of mind for lone workers and their managers.

Monitor your assets

As well as effective vehicle and personal tracking, our platform allows you to also track parked assets, plant equipment and expensive machinery. You can easily see where your assets are, allowing quick locations, assisting with stock taking, recovery of stolen assets and improving management efficiency. They’re easy to install and internal or weatherproof external solutions are available, making them ideal for securing valuable assets or backup devices.

Today, telematics are an essential part of any company’s fleet. If you want to find out more about how Tele-gence can transform your fleet management, reduce your fuel spend and improve driver behaviour, get in touch with one of our experts today.

City motorway at night with digital data overlay

How Tele-Gence telematics saves you time and money

Posted on 9th December 2020 | by Simon Pavey

Telematics are now a key part of any firm’s vehicle fleet. If you want to decrease fuel spend, improve driver behaviour or boost efficiency, this technology is vital.

But to achieve this, you need the right solution. You need an all-in-one tool that can run every aspect of your fleet management easily and from a single location. You need Tele-Gence telematics.

Tele-Gence is our intelligent, all-in-one fleet management solution. It lets you take complete control of every part of your business, delivering great benefits such as:

Decreased fuel spend
Better insight into routing
Improved driver behaviour
Advanced safety and security features
Increased visibility into your operations
Automated reporting

Let’s look at how some of these features work in a little more detail.

Cut your fuel costs

One of the main benefits of Tele-Gence is cutting your fuel bills. It does this in a number of ways, including highlighting any inefficiencies and offering recommendations for more potential savings.

Tele-Gence’s range of reporting tools let you keep an eye on MPG rates and CO2 emissions to see how your fleet is performing. It can also show you when and where drivers are spending time idling in traffic, allowing you to reduce wasted fuel by routing vehicles to avoid these locations.

What’s more, it also helps you cut down on fraud. Thanks to direct integration with fuel card data, you can get instant fuel fraud alerts if any unauthorised transactions have taken place.

Improve driver behaviour

Tele-Gence’s real-time tracking tools also enable you to monitor your employees’ behaviour and encourage safer driving. For example, its sensors can monitor excessive speeding and create driver behaviour league tables on your dashboard.

This quickly gives you an insight into who is driving safely and who is taking risks that put themselves and other road users in danger. You can then step in to provide education or even take drivers off the road if necessary.

Increase vehicle efficiency

By cutting down on issues like excessive speeding, you can also minimise vehicle wear and tear. Encouraging smoother, safer driving means less stress on the engine and other key parts, which means less vehicle maintenance and lower repair bills.

You can also reduce the risk of breakdowns by detecting issues earlier. Proactively scheduling maintenance with the info gained from this data reduces the amount of time your vehicles are off the road. This improves vehicle productivity and keeps your business moving.

Boost security

Tele-Gence also offers a range of options to help keep your vehicles and drivers safe and secure. Real-time tracking updates every ten seconds to ensure you always know where your fleet is, while device tampering alerts quickly flag up issues like theft.

This can also help you crack down on any unauthorised usage. For example, you can get instant alerts if a vehicle is being used outside normal working hours, costing you fuel and increasing wear and tear.

Integration with dashcams can also help prevent accident liability by offering proof of what has happened in any incident. Meanwhile, crash detection alerts can immediately inform a chosen contact if an accident does occur.

Reduce your admin

Finally, Tele-Gence offers a wide range of reports, dashboards and automation tools to help you take control of the paperwork. Scheduled reports such as timesheets, mileage calculations and expenses can be created and sent directly to your inbox.

This saves you huge amounts of time that would otherwise be spent on tedious, repetitive admin tasks. You can also be instantly alerted to any anomalies in your fleet that need further investigation.

All this is available in a single, highly customisable location. This allows you to run a much more efficient fleet while also making better business decisions. The end result is lower costs, fewer miles driven and a safer workforce.

To find out more about how Tele-Gence can transform your fleet management, get in touch with one of our experts today.

What is Business Mileage and How Do You Claim It?

Posted on 4th December 2020 | by Simon Pavey

Driving to deliver goods, meet clients or just commuting between work sites can quickly rack up costs, especially for larger fleets. Businesses can also be affected by frequent, short journeys too. But, there are ways to reduce travel costs within your businesses expenditure.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) grants a ‘business mileage allowance’ to each company vehicle that is in professional use. There are, however, rules that could affect your eligibility. The way your business is structured can also have an impact.

Using a company car for personal use

It’s very important that you clearly distinguish what ‘professional use’ is and what ‘personal use’ is. Ensuring your fleet drivers understand what mileage can be claimed on business mileage allowance makes the process of claiming it much easier

Some employees and business owners only ever use company vehicles whilst working. Using a company vehicle in this way would most definitely fall into professional use quite comfortably.

For employees who take their company vehicle home with them for use in their own time, personal and professional mileage must be separated and reported as such. Journeys such as commuting to and from work will not qualify for tax relief as this is not classed as professional use.

Claiming mileage on personal vehicles

Cars and vans that are classed as ‘personal’ (i.e. owned by a member of your fleet staff) can claim back a mileage allowance of 45p for the initial 10,000 miles in a single tax year. Anything above this threshold can be reclaimed at 25p per mile. This policy is also designed to cover maintenance too.

Motorcycle owners can claim back 24p per mile and this remains the same regardless of how far they travel in the financial year.

It doesn’t matter if an employee uses more than one ‘personal’ vehicle in a single year, the tax is calculated using the combined mileage of all of their vehicles.

Distinctions for company vehicles

By contrast, a ‘company’ vehicle claims relief based on fuel expenditure. The amount you can claim varies depending on the type of fuel used, as well as the size of your engine:

Engine Size	Petrol	LPG
Up to 1400cc	13p	10p
1401cc – 2000cc	15p	12p
More than 2000cc	23p	18p

*Advisory Fuel Rates from June 2023

It’s also important to note that these numbers aren’t static. They’re dictated by AFR (Advisory Fuel Rates) from the Treasury. Global fuel trends cause them to fluctuate: it’s therefore worthwhile checking back every three months to see if the figures have changes.

Engine Size	Diesel – amount per mile
1600cc or less	12p
1601cc – 2000cc	14p
Over 2000cc	18p

*Advisory Fuel Rates from June 2023 (Diesel)

As you can see from the second table, the rates change for diesel vehicles. Most notably, the biggest change can be found in the engine size, which stand at 1600cc or less, 1601 to 2000cc and over 2000cc respectively.

How to claim business mileage

As you claim for fuel expenditure under a company car’s mileage allowance, the AFR pricing table is a useful guide when you’re setting a fuel expense policy for your business. This will help give you the confidence that your policy is fair and cost-effective for everyone involved.

In some fleets, drivers will pay for their own fuel themselves and then claim the mileage allowance they are owed on their Class 1 National Insurance contributions, up to the thresholds we have outlined above, alternatively, a company can pay for the fuel while reclaiming the tax themselves.

Whatever the case may be, a robust payment record is essential.

The HMRC requires that you supply all receipts and records of all fuel expenditure. Fleets that have personal and company vehicles need to keep track and make sure that their records are HMRC compliant. Generally, there needs to be a set of dates, figures and total mileage to claim back everything you’re due.

Tracking mileage and managing admin with MileageCount

While it’s ultimately your decision as to how employees use their fuel cards, setting out a clear policy and tracking their usage is important. MileageCount records and reports every mile of every journey in any vehicle, to help reduce your mileage claims by up to 21% and save valuable admin time for your drivers.

MileageCount is easy for both drivers and managers to use – get in touch today to find out more!

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