Latest Fuel News

Reports propose that the recent headlines regarding the expected increase in UK fuel prices may spark campaign action with UK hauliers.

During the year 2000 the UK saw national fuel protests over the price of diesel and petrol, this was predominantly led by hauliers, lorry drivers, and farmers. These campaigns were the cause of great disruption; however the blockades did lead to the government eventually announcing the freeze of fuel duty.

Since then various news reports have cause motorists to panic buy petrol and diesel, however, no other significant UK protest have occurred. Rumors suggest that this could change; UK hauliers are said to becoming increasingly anxious, with experts suggesting that strikes could be in the pipeline once again.

With prices predicted to soar once VAT and fuel duty increases come January 2011, many believe fuel price campaigns will be inevitable.

A simple alteration to your driving style is thought to significantly increase your fuel efficiency and save you money!

Research suggests that one of the easiest ways to save money on your fuel bills is to keep your driving smooth and consistent. It is advised that techniques such as; resisting aggressive acceleration, changing gears in good time and avoiding heavy breaking can help save huge amounts of fuel.  

There are various statistics out there which give estimates just how much fuel you can save; however general figures suggest anywhere up to 15%!

Not only is this a great fuel saving tip it is thought to be a much more safe way of driving too!

Recent reports show that for the first time ever during July 2010 more diesel cars were sold than petrol. Diesel car sales accounted for over half of new car sales in the UK, with alternative fuel vehicles reaching almost one and a half percent.

Overall car sales have fallen significantly yet diesel sales have grown, suggestions as to why there has been an increase in diesel sales include: with finances being restricted for everyone, the diesel’s more fuel efficient engine is making it a much more appealing option than ever before. It is thought that more people are considering the overall cost of running the vehicle and are no longer solely looking at the initial cost of purchase.

This news has concerned some environmentalists, who have echoed concerns that the increase in diesel will have an adverse impact on the environment as diesel engines cause more pollution than petrol.

Critics suggest that buyers must acknowledge that the unpredictability of fuel prices may result in the diesel vehicle not repaying its initial investment.

The hybrid market for commercial vehicles such as trucks and vans is set to grow within the next six years. Hybrid vehicles are reported as becoming more popular, because of the benefit they can bring to an organisation such as increased fuel economy, something which is gaining more recognition from fleet managers. As technology develops it is predicted that an increased number of commercial hybrid vehicles will enter the market.

Many experts suggest that as petrol vehicles perish and need replacing, diesels and hybrids are highly likely to replace them.

With environmental concerns heightening and the transport industry contributing significantly to CO2 emissions it’s no surprise that electric vehicles are a regular feature in the news. More frequently electric vehicles are becoming a central part of the transport industry news however; there are speculations as to whether the popularity of the electric vehicle will outgrow the traditional fuel engine anytime soon.

The significant difference between the two vehicles is that the fuel powered vehicle runs via a fuel tank, this supplies the fuel to the engine, the engine then turns the fuel into transmission causing the wheels to turn.

In contrast the electric vehicle runs via a number of batteries, the engine is provided by electricity which powers the electric motor. This motor then turns the power into transmission which subsequently makes the wheels turn.

Often the hybrid car is considered to strike balance between the electric and fuel powered vehicle with regards to CO2 emissions.

With fuel engines becoming more efficient through continuous innovation such as using lighter materials, experts have agreed that the fuel engine will not be made redundant anytime soon.  Due to the limited numbers of electric models and their higher cost, it is believed that the fuel powered car will remain the main player in the market for the foreseeable future.

If you would like information about fuel cards for your vehicles contacts us on 0845 450 5755.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) have carried out research which has concluded that many leased fleets are overpaying VAT by hundreds of millions of pounds. Currently business that lease vehicles can recover a fifty percent of VAT portion of the finance element of their rental payments.

BVRLA believe that their finding shows a figure which is far too low and feel it is being discounted by the government.

There are now suggestions that the VAT recovery rates should be adjusted to be more an equitable rate to businesses that lease cars, however this is considered unlikely to be taken into consideration by the new coalition government especially with the increase in VAT come January 2011.

As we are now in our summer season, we all hope the sun will come out and shine during the next few weeks. With the rising cost of fuel and the temperature outside increasing this sparks the debate of what is more fuel efficient; air conditioning or opening the window?

There are numerous discussions surrounding if air conditioning increases fuel consumption. Studies have shown that switching on your air conditioning system can come at a charge and although we perceive it as a free of charge feature of the vehicle, the reality is maybe different. As we turn up our air conditioning additional energy is required and thus more fuel is used. There are countless statistics that reveal how much fuel consumption increases by, however figures typically fall between a five and eleven percent increase.

After endless debates and research there is still little consensus as to the vital statistics, but the common agreement is:

When driving at lower speeds less power is produced by the vehicles engine, therefore to run an air conditioning system will make the vehicle work considerably harder, for this reason when driving at lower ‘stop-start’ speeds, such as town driving opening a window is more efficient.

When a vehicles speed goes beyond 40 miles per hour having the windows open will cause an increase in drag resulting in lowered fuel efficiency. Therefore when driving at higher speeds the most efficient option is to close the window and switch on your air conditioning.

The majority of research shows that having the air conditioning switched on does not have a big effect on fuel consumption. If you drive a more modern vehicle by and large they are designed to be more aerodynamic and therefore more fuel efficient, so turning on the air conditioning will have minimal impact on fuel consumption.

The very best way to save fuel is to have the air conditioning off and the windows up. Allow your vehicle to cool before you set off on your journey, by simply parking in the shade and starting your journey in a cool vehicle you won’t have to worry about the extra fuel cost!

The rising cost of fuel is felt by all however, it is suggested that UK hauliers maybe experiencing the impact more than most. It is thought that UK fuel prices are putting immense pressure on profits for hauliers resulting in a variety of cost saving exercises. Speculation that the new coalition government may increase fuel duty in the near future indicates hard times ahead.

Fuel cards are an easy way to manage your fleet through this uncertainty.

At Forecourt Fuels we can help ease this pressure with our fuel cards. We supply a large number of fuel cards to many different businesses for both UK and European usage, making our fuel cards ideal for any haulier.

Having a Fuel card will allow you to purchase your fuel at the best possible price, whilst giving you the added purchase control required in these pressurized times.

The UK HGV industry has suffered enormous losses due to the ongoing recession. The fleet industry is in a state of turmoil and looking for ways to tackle the recession and increase profit margins. This is the reason why fleet managers should come up with effective fleet management techniques to counter the recession.

The fleet manager has a very important role to play in the current scenario. The manager should pay extra heed to the drivers he employs and also train the employees, concerning the road safety regulations that need to be followed to avoid accidents and other road hazards. If you are a fleet manager, you can also use a vehicle tracking device to further reduce the operational costs. Such tracking devices will help you to meet the delivery deadlines by constantly monitoring aspects like the movement of vehicles and fuel consumption.

The usage of fuel cards is another efficient way to help you when managing a fleet. Your drivers no longer need to pay by cash at the petrol station every time they refuel their vehicles. This helps to save the driver’s time, since the transaction takes place via the fuel cards. Moreover, several other benefits like discounts are nowadays offered by fuel card service providers. Such a discount helps you to reduce the overall fuel expenditure of your fleet and hence offer a solution to your vehicle management costs.

Small fleets as well as their insurers have been informed that the new regulations governing how rapidly road crash claims must be settled will put extra burdens on them. Last week, the Ministry of Justice said that a contract has been reached, which will rationalise the claims process of personal injury claims for road traffic accident costing between £1000 to £10,000 – approximately 80% of all motor personal injury claims.

The latest process that is about to come into force in April 2010 will mean, where mistake is not disputed, liability should be admitted in fifteen days. As a result of this, businesses should make sure that their drivers report crashes immediately and have in a system in place that can quickly notify their insurance company.

Corclaim’s, head of corporate personal injury, Jonathan White, warned that the newest process will create a huge impact on insurers, fleets and claims management professionals.

Jonathan also said that drivers need to be well-informed about the need to quickly notify claims or fleets can suffer penalties which can result in no compliance according to the new claims handling regulations.

The scrappage plan has been credited with the boosting sales of new cars, following the third successful monthly rise that was seen in September. The registrations of new cars were up 11.4% in the last month that accounted to 367,929 units being sold. However, over the month, fleet sales fell once again by 13.6%. Until now, yearly sales of fleet are down by 25% compared to past year.

So far this year, only 762,851 new cars have been sold vehicles whereas during the similar period in last year it was 1,025,465. In addition, as a result of the scrappage scheme, registrations of small cars from private buyers rose in September.

Once again, thanks to the scrappage scheme the sales of new cars have been boosted significantly. Due to the scrappage scheme, the average CO2 emission by new cars fell 4.9% over the yearly 105.2g/km.

SMMT’s chief executive, Paul Everitt said that the market conditions are still very demanding, with the requirement being underpinned by a very successful scrappage incentive plan. The extension of this scheme will help to maintain demand throughout the latter part of this year and also into 2010.