Advice
Calculate your fuel cost and mileage
Calculating your fuel cost and mileage is easy! Find the how much a single journey costs you to keep a track of your budget.
Words by: Nimisha Jain
Published on 3 October 2022 | 0 min read
Fuel costs have risen steadily in the past few months due to factors like the Russia-Ukraine war and the fall of British Pound against the US dollar.
With inflation impacting everyone’s wallets in one way or another, calculating your fuel costs can be helpful to keep a track of your budget and decide whether another mode of transportation is cheaper. Calculating your journey costs manually can help you get an exact figure for how much you’re spending on petrol or diesel. We’ve simplified the maths so you can find out the running costs in minutes. Calculate your fuel cost Calculate your mileage Calculate the mileage of an electric car
With inflation impacting everyone’s wallets in one way or another, calculating your fuel costs can be helpful to keep a track of your budget and decide whether another mode of transportation is cheaper. Calculating your journey costs manually can help you get an exact figure for how much you’re spending on petrol or diesel. We’ve simplified the maths so you can find out the running costs in minutes. Calculate your fuel cost Calculate your mileage Calculate the mileage of an electric car
How can I calculate fuel cost?
To calculate your fuel cost, you’ll need to know:
• The amount of fuel you use • Fuel prices So, your Fuel cost = Fuel consumption x Fuel price Fuel consumption is the amount of fuel your car uses to travel from point A to B. All cars go through various checks called WLTP and RDE which help in knowing the official fuel consumption figures. Usually, you can find the official fuel consumption in your car’s handbook. But worry not if you’ve lost the handbook or can’t find the amount; you can easily find the fuel consumption using: • The distance you travel • Your car’s fuel efficiency in miles per gallon (mpg) Fuel consumption = Distance travelled / Fuel efficiency You can calculate your fuel usage in either kilometres per litre or miles per gallon. Example fuel consumption: If you travelled 50 km with a fuel efficiency of 2.5 km per litre, then: Fuel = 50 / 2.5 = 20 litres How simple was that! Now that you know your fuel consumption is 20 litres, all you need is the fuel prices. You can either note down the fuel prices or save the receipt next time you re-fuel your car. You can also use a website like Petrolprices.com to find the prices offered by the petrol station you usually to re-fuel your car. If you live in Northern Ireland, you can use consumercouncil.org.uk to find fuel prices near you. Example fuel cost: If you spend £2 per litre and used 20 litres, then: Your fuel cost = 20 x 2 = £40 If you’re planning on buying a car and wondering what the fuel cost will be, you can compare the cost of owning an electric car and a petrol car using our calculator.
• The amount of fuel you use • Fuel prices So, your Fuel cost = Fuel consumption x Fuel price Fuel consumption is the amount of fuel your car uses to travel from point A to B. All cars go through various checks called WLTP and RDE which help in knowing the official fuel consumption figures. Usually, you can find the official fuel consumption in your car’s handbook. But worry not if you’ve lost the handbook or can’t find the amount; you can easily find the fuel consumption using: • The distance you travel • Your car’s fuel efficiency in miles per gallon (mpg) Fuel consumption = Distance travelled / Fuel efficiency You can calculate your fuel usage in either kilometres per litre or miles per gallon. Example fuel consumption: If you travelled 50 km with a fuel efficiency of 2.5 km per litre, then: Fuel = 50 / 2.5 = 20 litres How simple was that! Now that you know your fuel consumption is 20 litres, all you need is the fuel prices. You can either note down the fuel prices or save the receipt next time you re-fuel your car. You can also use a website like Petrolprices.com to find the prices offered by the petrol station you usually to re-fuel your car. If you live in Northern Ireland, you can use consumercouncil.org.uk to find fuel prices near you. Example fuel cost: If you spend £2 per litre and used 20 litres, then: Your fuel cost = 20 x 2 = £40 If you’re planning on buying a car and wondering what the fuel cost will be, you can compare the cost of owning an electric car and a petrol car using our calculator.
Mileage or fuel efficiency
Mileage refers to the number of miles your car can cover on one gallon of fuel. Mileage is a way of measuring fuel efficiency or fuel economy.
It is also know as mpg (miles per gallon). The higher your car’s Mileage, the more efficient your car is – this means you need to re-fuel your car less frequently as compared to a car with a smaller mpg.
It is also know as mpg (miles per gallon). The higher your car’s Mileage, the more efficient your car is – this means you need to re-fuel your car less frequently as compared to a car with a smaller mpg.
How do I calculate my mileage?
To calculate your mileage, you need your:
• Distance covered • Amount of fuel used Mileage = Distance covered / Fuel used If the amount of fuel you used is in litres and you’re after miles per gallon, you need to multiply the number by 4.544. So, Mileage = (Distance covered / Litres of fuel used) x 4.544 Most cars come with a trip meter, also known as a trip counter – if you set this at zero, you can easily track how many miles you cover in a single journey. Note: don’t confuse a trip meter with an Odometer which measures your car’s mileage at all times to provide you with your car's lifetime mileage reading. It is illegal to alter the mileage on an Odometer. You can also calculate the distance covered and the amount of fuel you use, next time when you re-fuel your car. All you have to do is note down your mileage at the time and how many litres you used to refuel your car. After a few journeys on the same tank of fuel, note down the mileage and litres of petrol left. Remember, you need to do this before you re-fuel the car. Once you have the two values for mileage and fuel, find the difference between the time you filled up your tank and the amount of fuel left, and mileage done after the few journeys. Once you have a figure for the two, you’re ready to calculate your car’s mpg. Example mileage: Your odometer showed the mileage as 100 miles and you re-fuel your car till full – 50 litres. After a few journeys, your odometer shows 120 miles and your tank is down to 42 litres, then your distance covered is 20 miles on 8 litres of fuel, so: Mileage = (20 / 8) x 4.544 Mileage = 2.5 x 4.544 Mileage = 11.37 mpg
• Distance covered • Amount of fuel used Mileage = Distance covered / Fuel used If the amount of fuel you used is in litres and you’re after miles per gallon, you need to multiply the number by 4.544. So, Mileage = (Distance covered / Litres of fuel used) x 4.544 Most cars come with a trip meter, also known as a trip counter – if you set this at zero, you can easily track how many miles you cover in a single journey. Note: don’t confuse a trip meter with an Odometer which measures your car’s mileage at all times to provide you with your car's lifetime mileage reading. It is illegal to alter the mileage on an Odometer. You can also calculate the distance covered and the amount of fuel you use, next time when you re-fuel your car. All you have to do is note down your mileage at the time and how many litres you used to refuel your car. After a few journeys on the same tank of fuel, note down the mileage and litres of petrol left. Remember, you need to do this before you re-fuel the car. Once you have the two values for mileage and fuel, find the difference between the time you filled up your tank and the amount of fuel left, and mileage done after the few journeys. Once you have a figure for the two, you’re ready to calculate your car’s mpg. Example mileage: Your odometer showed the mileage as 100 miles and you re-fuel your car till full – 50 litres. After a few journeys, your odometer shows 120 miles and your tank is down to 42 litres, then your distance covered is 20 miles on 8 litres of fuel, so: Mileage = (20 / 8) x 4.544 Mileage = 2.5 x 4.544 Mileage = 11.37 mpg
Miles per kWh
Fuel economy of an electric car is calculated in miles per kWh as run on electricity as opposed to petrol or diesel fuel. It is also sometimes known as mpg-e.
Miles per kWh tells you how efficient the electric car is – it calculates the range an electric car can cover on one kWh battery charge.
Miles per kWh tells you how efficient the electric car is – it calculates the range an electric car can cover on one kWh battery charge.
How do I calculate my mpg per kWh?
To calculate your mpg per kWh (mpg-e), you’ll need your car’s:
• Battery range • Battery size So, Miles per kWh = battery range / battery size Battery range refers to the total distance an electric car can cover on a full charge. If your electric car has a trip meter, you can easily track the miles covered in a single journey. If not, then note down the mileage on the odometer next time you re-charge your car to full. After a few trips, when you go to a charging dock again, note the mileage on the odometer now and recharge your car to full again. The amount of battery charge you get charged for is the charge used since the previous recharge. Now, that you know the distance covered and the battery charge used, you can find the range using: Battery range = distance / battery charge used You can find the battery size in your car’s handbook or on the manufacturer’s website. Example mpg per kWh: If your battery range is 150 miles and the battery size is 30 kWh, then: Mpg per kWh = 150 / 30 = 5 miles per kWh
• Battery range • Battery size So, Miles per kWh = battery range / battery size Battery range refers to the total distance an electric car can cover on a full charge. If your electric car has a trip meter, you can easily track the miles covered in a single journey. If not, then note down the mileage on the odometer next time you re-charge your car to full. After a few trips, when you go to a charging dock again, note the mileage on the odometer now and recharge your car to full again. The amount of battery charge you get charged for is the charge used since the previous recharge. Now, that you know the distance covered and the battery charge used, you can find the range using: Battery range = distance / battery charge used You can find the battery size in your car’s handbook or on the manufacturer’s website. Example mpg per kWh: If your battery range is 150 miles and the battery size is 30 kWh, then: Mpg per kWh = 150 / 30 = 5 miles per kWh
Why should I calculate my fuel usage?
Knowing your fuel cost helps estimate the amount of fuel you’ll need when traveling from point A to B.
Calculating fuel cost is also a good idea when you’re considering buying – you can get an estimate of the fuel cost for the different models you’re considering buying to help you make a decision.
Calculating fuel cost is also a good idea when you’re considering buying – you can get an estimate of the fuel cost for the different models you’re considering buying to help you make a decision.
How can I reduce my fuel consumption?
If your journey costs you more than you’d like, you can plan your trip better to use fuel more efficiently – perhaps drive when there’s less traffic or get more chores done in a single trip to reduce your overall fuel cost.
You can also look at some fuel-efficient driving tips to save fuel and money. If you’re considering buying a new car, look at some of the top fuel-efficient cars that can help reduce the amount you spend re-fuelling your cars or consider buying an electric car.
You can also look at some fuel-efficient driving tips to save fuel and money. If you’re considering buying a new car, look at some of the top fuel-efficient cars that can help reduce the amount you spend re-fuelling your cars or consider buying an electric car.