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Saving money on staycations: keeping fuel costs down over summer
British holiday makers are reassessing their fuel budgets ahead of a summer weekend away - will fuel prices drop, and how could drivers save money?
Words by: Andrew Woodhouse
Published on 4 August 2022 | 0 min read
A combination of staffing chaos at UK airports and the rising cost of living has prompted a surge in British staycation bookings, despite this being the first summer largely free of COVID restrictions on foreign travel since 2019.
Those looking forward to seeing, or revisiting, another corner of the UK are finding themselves worried by the spiralling costs at the petrol pumps. Research we’ve conducted using Government fuel price data (BEIS road fuel price data, 19th July) and a 600-mile round trip shows staycation driving costs for diesel drivers are up 45% compared to 12 months ago, from £102.83 to £149.44 on average. For petrol drivers, fuel costs have surged from £100.79 to £142.94 – a jump of 42%. Hope is on the horizon though, as lower wholesale petrol and diesel prices should eventually reach the pumps and bring prices back down – easing pressure on fuel costs. Unfortunately, that’s small comfort for families filling up for long journeys ahead of this weekend.
Those looking forward to seeing, or revisiting, another corner of the UK are finding themselves worried by the spiralling costs at the petrol pumps. Research we’ve conducted using Government fuel price data (BEIS road fuel price data, 19th July) and a 600-mile round trip shows staycation driving costs for diesel drivers are up 45% compared to 12 months ago, from £102.83 to £149.44 on average. For petrol drivers, fuel costs have surged from £100.79 to £142.94 – a jump of 42%. Hope is on the horizon though, as lower wholesale petrol and diesel prices should eventually reach the pumps and bring prices back down – easing pressure on fuel costs. Unfortunately, that’s small comfort for families filling up for long journeys ahead of this weekend.
So how can you future-proof yourself against such rapidly changing circumstances?
Our research also found that drivers making the same trip as above could make savings of almost 50% by switching to electric vehicles. The same journey in a Polestar 2, using an initial domestic charge to begin journey and use of public charging points, would cost just £77.83 for an EV driver – 48% cheaper than a diesel vehicle and 45% cheaper than petrol driving costs. Prices do vary based on the type of charger you use – with rapid chargers costing more but taking less time to top-up. You can learn more about the different types of charger here. You can compare the costs of owning an electric car compared to petrol, using the most popular body types as an example, here. There are, of course, downsides to switching to electric. The price to buy remains prohibitively expensive for many and, even when it comes to charging, the scarcity of charging points for drivers to make a return journey becomes an issue – especially for popular holiday destinations like Cornwall and the Lake District. Cornwall typically welcomes an extra 180,000 visitors during the summer months but according to Cornwall Council, there are just 27 pay-as-you-go charging points – of which just 13 are superfast chargers. In the ever-popular Lake District, there is an even greater shortage with just four charging points. You can find charging points near you, or areas you’re planning to visit, using our electric car charging map.
Our research also found that drivers making the same trip as above could make savings of almost 50% by switching to electric vehicles. The same journey in a Polestar 2, using an initial domestic charge to begin journey and use of public charging points, would cost just £77.83 for an EV driver – 48% cheaper than a diesel vehicle and 45% cheaper than petrol driving costs. Prices do vary based on the type of charger you use – with rapid chargers costing more but taking less time to top-up. You can learn more about the different types of charger here. You can compare the costs of owning an electric car compared to petrol, using the most popular body types as an example, here. There are, of course, downsides to switching to electric. The price to buy remains prohibitively expensive for many and, even when it comes to charging, the scarcity of charging points for drivers to make a return journey becomes an issue – especially for popular holiday destinations like Cornwall and the Lake District. Cornwall typically welcomes an extra 180,000 visitors during the summer months but according to Cornwall Council, there are just 27 pay-as-you-go charging points – of which just 13 are superfast chargers. In the ever-popular Lake District, there is an even greater shortage with just four charging points. You can find charging points near you, or areas you’re planning to visit, using our electric car charging map.
Electric isn’t for everybody right now. The cars and infrastructure have ways to go before they’re accessible to everyone, though investment means we’ll reach that point before too long.
In the meantime, drivers looking to save money and cut fuel costs over the longer term can start their journey with our rundown of the most fuel efficient cars, and get more tips on our cars on a budget page. There are also plenty of tips and tricks to manage your cost of living, including fuel and charging tips to try today in our cost of living guide.
In the meantime, drivers looking to save money and cut fuel costs over the longer term can start their journey with our rundown of the most fuel efficient cars, and get more tips on our cars on a budget page. There are also plenty of tips and tricks to manage your cost of living, including fuel and charging tips to try today in our cost of living guide.