Fuel Prices Drive Behavioural Changes

Pricey : Petrol is at £1.30 per Litre. (Pic: LeasePlan)

The first days of March brought further bad news for motorists across the UK, with major news sites reporting that the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol had reached the £1.30 mark. Overall, the steady rise in fuel prices is a well-documented phenomenon, with a variety of factors, including government tax levels and unrest abroad being blamed for higher costs at the pump.

According to the BBC, car-owners are now beginning to change their driving habits in response to rising petrol prices. Small changes in the way that drivers operate their cars can have a dramatic effect on their weekly fuel spend, and the instantly recognisable savings are a key factor in encouraging many to drive more efficiently.

Simple measures such as pumping up tyres and avoiding excessive revving at traffic lights can, according to the BBC, save £10-£20 per week for the average motorist. For business car drivers covering a greater mileage, this figure could be much greater. This doesn’t just bring economic benefits, it has the added bonus of reducing emissions, which aids the UK’s push for a greener future.

A caveat of this response from the public is that the most effective way of dropping fuel costs – by reducing journeys taken – is simply not an option for business car drivers. In this regard we understand our clients’ predicament and with the average spend at the pump dropping from £25 to £20, it is clear that all motorists, whether private owners or business drivers, are feeling the pinch. This reduction is primarily a result of owners half-filling their cars, and perhaps unwittingly, they are in fact following one of the AA suggestions to reduce the weight of the vehicle to save on costs.

However, this changing behaviour amongst private drivers can, by proxy, convey benefits to business users as a widespread shift in fuel buying habits should encourage manufacturers to push for the development of more fuel-efficient cars, in addition to the production of increasingly popular models of electric vehicles.

While Quentin Wilson’s description of ‘eerily quiet’ motorways may be slightly premature, the future of traditional cars would appear to be dependent on finding more and more ways to squeeze the potential out of every last drop of fuel. If this trend continues, the figure for MPG could well become the first consideration in every consumer’s mind when making a new purchase