Motorists have been told to visit a fuel station and top up their cars with petrol and diesel fuel before Tuesday evening. Experts at National Scrap Car revealed filling up a petrol or diesel vehicle on Monday or Tuesday could help motorists save up.
The specialists revealed that Monday and Tuesday often had the “best value” with motorists filling up on Friday and Saturday likely paying more. Fuel prices are open to daily fluctuations, with firms sometimes adjusting prices in anticipation of demand. This means drivers could pay more for fuel when demand is believed to be high, like at weekends when many road users are filling up ahead of day trips and time away.
National Scrap Car said: “Fill up early in the week - When it comes to saving money on fuel, the advice is simple: fill up early in the week. We typically see prices rise towards the weekend, with Friday and Saturday being the most expensive days due to increased leisure travel. For the best value, try to get to the pump on a Monday or Tuesday.”
However, Andrew Marshall, spokesperson for CarMoney, has previously warned topping up on one particular day over any other is unlikely to make much difference. He suggested that road users are unlikely to notice any major difference to their bill by following the trick.
He previously said: "The fluctuations in fuel prices over a weekly period will be very minimal, and re-fuelling on a Monday compared to a Wednesday will probably not change your fuel bill by a noticeable amount."
According to RAC Fuel Watch, the average petrol costs across the UK currently stands at 135.6p per litre. Diesel has seen a slight rise in November with average costs now at 143.98p per litre, up from 142.91p per litre at the end of October.
Topping up on Monday or Tuesday could be more crucial this coming week in anticipation of Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget.
The Chancellor could be set to increase fuel duty by as much as 5p per litre, axing the temporary cut introduced by the Conservatives in 2022. Analysis shows this could add up to £4 to the cost of filling up the average family car.
Ms Reeves could also be set to announce new pay-per-mile fees for EV owners from 2028 and changes to Vehicle Excise Duty bands in a hefty blow for road users.
