NOTHING has a greater influence on drivers than cost. It has the capacity to change behaviour very quickly.
However, when it comes to fuel costs, I sometimes see a rather defeatist attitude from drivers with many viewing it as a necessary expense that consistently rises but can’t be mitigated.
The reality is that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s true that drivers can’t control the pump price which is impacted by external factors out of our control (the recent VAT and duty increases providing prime examples).
Despite this, drivers can influence their overall fuel spend and with fuel making up a quarter of the cost of running a vehicle in some cases, significant savings can be made.
It’s amazing how many drivers don’t know how much they spend on fuel over a period of time and so this is an important starting point.
Motorists need to get a grip on how much they are spending on a weekly and monthly basis so that they can identify areas for cost reduction and the methods that they plan to use.
Fuel efficient driving methods such as driving slower and more smoothly will always have a positive impact on consumption, and this should be combined with shopping around for the best priced fuel, avoiding panic buying at expensive sites and planning fuel purchases.
Planning fuel purchases to fill up at the best price is one of the best ways for drivers to reduce their fuel bill.
With the pence per litre price at outlets often varying by several pence it’s good to get into the habit of taking advantage of lower cost sites when you are passing one and to do this you need to have an understanding of the current average fuel price.
This does several things. It means that drivers get better value for money, it eliminates the need to deviate from your route to fill up, and it reduces the need to make a distress purchase at an expensive forecourt.
The Government recognises that fuel cost is a burden to drivers which is why they are looking at a national fuel price stabiliser, designed to even-out sudden changes in the price of fuel by altering the level of fuel duty imposed.
However, motorists have an opportunity to take responsibility for the amount that they spend on fuel and taking the bull by the horns can make a significant difference.
Mike Waters is director of market insight at Arval, Europe's leading operational leasing and fuel management company.