Does Your Postcode Have High Fuel Costs?

Motorists face a postcode lottery as fuel prices vary considerably throughout the United Kingdom. According to Santander, for starters, premium unleaded costs 145.9 pence per- litre in the Shetland Islands and only 129.7 pence per-litre in Grampian Scotland. That is a difference of 16.2 pence per-litre. Let us put that in perspective. A new Ford Mondeo has a seventy litre fuel tank. It therefore costs £102.13 to fill this mile-muncher in the Shetland Islands, or £90.79 in Grampian. That is a difference of £11.34. Imagine that over twelve months. It equates, in fact, to a difference of £589.68 per-year assuming one weekly fill-up.

Alan Mathewson, Chief Executive of Santander Cards, said: “These seemingly small variations in fuel prices across the UK can actually have a significant impact on overall spending - particularly for drivers who really clock up the miles.”

Excluding Scotland, the most expensive place to purchase premium unleaded fuel in the UK is Humberside. Here it costs an uncomfortable 137.9 pence per-litre. What a contrast to Denbighshire in Wales where the price is 130.9 pence per-litre. This rises to 132.1 in Northern Ireland, and to slightly over 132 pence per-litre in southern and eastern England.

Prices at the pump have risen considerably recently for all types of fuel. However, savings can be made. Some new cars, for starters, have far better average fuel consumption figures than their predecessors. Highlights include the VW Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI (80.7mpg), the Hyundai i20 1.1 CRDi Blue (88.3mpg), the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics BluePerformance Auto (68.9mpg), and the Kia Rio 1 1.1 CRDi 5dr (88.3mpg). Motorists could also cut consumption by using high gears, maintaining consistent speeds, accelerating modestly, and ensuring that tyre pressures are correct. The alternative is to buy a bicycle.