Lower pump prices fuel increased mileage
Kwik Fit | Friday 12th February 2016 11:30am
- After 20% price drop British drivers travel 3.8 billion extra miles
- Fall in oil prices saves drivers over £6 billion per year
- Drivers saving an average of £16 every month
A new study by Kwik Fit, the UK’s leading automotive servicing and repair company, has revealed that falling oil prices have led to British motorists travelling an additional 3,828,000,000 miles pa, compared with two years ago1.
More than four million drivers say that the 20% fall in the price of fuel since January 20142 has resulted in them driving an average of 79 more miles each month, or 950 miles per year. 280,000 motorists say the increase in their monthly mileage is more than 200 miles.
The fall in prices at the pump has left the nation’s drivers much better off. Kwik Fit found that when compared with their fuel costs two years ago, drivers are saving a total of £6.1 billion a year. The average monthly saving is £16.05, though almost half a million drivers (497,000) are each saving more than £60 per month.
As well as the financial advantage to motorists, the lower prices have also given people greater freedom and flexibility. 10% of drivers say that they have been able to make journeys they might otherwise have avoided, while 8% (2.8 million) motorists, have been able to go on days out or driving holidays they would not have done at higher prices. 5% say they can make longer journeys than was previously the case. Those buying a new car have had greater flexibility, with 6% saying they have bought a car with lower fuel economy as it is more affordable to run at lower fuel costs.
However, there have been some downsides for road users in the lower fuel prices. 5% of drivers (2.3 million) say they are less concerned about driving in an economical manner, with 2% openly admitting that they drive faster.
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit said: “The lower fuel prices have obviously led to huge savings for many motorists, and also enabled them to use their car more often. It’s important that drivers making more or longer journeys adapt their maintenance and servicing accordingly, as items like tyres and brakes will wear out sooner as more miles are covered. And just because fuel prices are lower than two years ago, we would encourage all drivers to try to drive as efficiently as possible – driving faster will clearly negate any savings made by increasing fuel consumption.
| Region | Number of motorists saving on fuel costs | Average monthly saving | Total annual saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2,451,000 | £19.19 | £564,416,280 |
| North East England | 1,210,000 | £18.04 | £261,940,800 |
| North West England | 3,566,000 | £14.31 | £612,353,520 |
| Yorks and Humber | 2,856,000 | £15.87 | £543,896,640 |
| West Midlands | 3,081,000 | £17.46 | £645,531,120 |
| Wales | 1,782,000 | £14.86 | £317,766,240 |
| Eastern England | 3,314,000 | £15.58 | £619,585,440 |
| London | 3,513,000 | £17.22 | £725,926,320 |
| South East England | 4,265,000 | £13.73 | £702,701,400 |
| South West England | 3,111,000 | £16.58 | £618,964,560 |
| East Midlands | 2,346,000 | £16.06 | £452,121,120 |
| Great Britain | 31,499,000 | £16.05 | £6,066,707,400 |
Saving figures compared between January 2016 and January 2014
Roger Griggs continues: “It’s also important that the authorities responsible for our road network take into account that more miles are being travelled along them and ensure that the levels of highway maintenance keep pace with usage.”
| Region | Number of motorists driving more miles | Average extra miles driven per month | Total extra mileage per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 239,000 | 77 | 220,606,560 |
| North East England | 206,000 | 83 | 205,151,280 |
| North West England | 337,000 | 92 | 370,511,280 |
| Yorks and Humber | 442,000 | 66 | 350,541,360 |
| West Midlands | 607,000 | 72 | 522,481,320 |
| Wales | 88,000 | 51 | 54,225,600 |
| Eastern England | 154,000 | 81 | 150,260,880 |
| London | 889,000 | 97 | 1,030,208,760 |
| South East England | 345,000 | 37 | 154,546,200 |
| South West England | 489,000 | 99 | 580,169,160 |
| East Midlands | 236,000 | 67 | 189,064,320 |
| Great Britain | 4,033,000 | 79 | 3,828,607,560 |
Extra mileage figures compared between January 2016 and January 2014
In order to maximise the advantage of the lower fuel prices, Kwik Fit advises drivers to ensure their tyres are correctly inflated as well as keeping up to date with their servicing as well maintained engines run most efficiently. Kwik Fit offers interim and full services from £69.95 – full details can be found at kwik-fit.com/servicing.
For the latest news and updates from Kwik Fit, customers can follow the company on Twitter at @kwik_fit.
- ends -Note to editors
1 ICM Research carried out among a nationally representative sample of 2008 GB adults
2 http://www.racfoundation.org/data/uk-pump-prices-over-time
About Kwik Fit
Established in 1971, the Kwik Fit Group is one of the largest independent automotive parts, repair and replacement specialists in the world. Kwik Fit has over 600 service centres across the UK and more than 200 mobile tyre fitting vehicles, making it the UK’s leading tyre, exhaust, brake and MoT specialist. Details of its range of products and services can be found at kwik-fit.com
For further information please contact:
Antonia Green/Katie Pugh/Brandon Stockwell
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: 020 7638 9571
