Prices At The Pump Effect Businesses From Tomorrow

Motorists leaving cars at home as petrol prices hit a new record: Families are being forced into drastic economies unseen since the height of the credit crunch because of the soaring cost of filling a tank, the motoring organisation said. Drivers in many parts of the UK are already paying more than the previous peak of 119.7 pence a litre ($7 U.S. Gallon), set in July 2008. But for discounting by some supermarkets, especially in the North, the national average would have already hit a new high.

The record is expected to be broken on Wednesday, when the latest wholesale rises filter through to the pumps. According to the latest figures produced by the Automobile Association, average petrol prices across the country hit 119.46 pence on Tuesday - a whisker away from the record. Diesel, meanwhile is costing 120.14 pence a litre. This is already having an impact on behaviour according to a poll of 15,000 motorists carried out by the AA. It showed that 48 per cent of drivers were using their car less. Another 34 per cent were siphoning cash from other parts of their family budget to pay for petrol or diesel.

Now the average motorist is paying £4.80 more to fill a car than at the start of the year, when petrol was costing an average of 109.88 pence a litre. The rise since Jan 6 last year, when pump prices were at their lowest in recent memory, is even more dramatic. Then filling a 50-litre tank with petrol cost a motorist £42.95, now the bill is £59.70, an increase of £16.74.

According to Edmund King, the AA's president, petrol sales have fallen in recent months. "Over the weekend, some retailers who put prices up 2p a litre, in line with the increase in duty and other costs, brought them back down. Such is the knife-edge between what drivers can and cannot afford to spend on fuel," said Edmund King, the AA's president. The RAC also voiced concern about the soaring cost of filling a car. "It's now when, not if petrol prices hit record levels" said Adrian Tink, the organisation's motoring strategist. "The latest fuel duty rise has put us on the edge of the record and the ominous rise in oil prices over the last few days will definitely push prices over it.

"This is a dark time for motorists, with the worst affected virtually paying £6-a-gallon for fuel. These rises are indiscriminate in who they hurt, from families to businesses to consumers - these rises hit us all. "The real fear is that, if oil prices continues to rise, we'll have a perfect storm of high fuel duty, a weak pound and an increasing oil price - that could be disastrous. It's time that something was done by both the energy companies and the Government to protect motorists."

Tips to Improve Your Gas Mileage:

Drive sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration, and braking wastes gas. That kind of behavior can lower your gas mileage by as much as 33% at highway speeds and 5% around town roads.

Follow the speed limit. Gas mileage decreaes quickly at speeds above 60mph. Every 5mph you go over 60 is like paying an additional $0.15 for every gallon of gas.

Avoiding idling for long periods of time. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with large engines usually waste gas more so than cars with smaller engines.

Remove any excess weight from your car especially heavy items. An extra 100 pounds in your car can reduce your MPG by as much as 2%.

Use cruise control when on major highways. Cruise control helps you maintain a constant speed and will save you gas.

Keep your engine in good shape. Fixing a car that is out of tune can improve its gas mileage by 4.1% on average. Results vary depending on how well done the repair is and what kind of repair it is. If your car has a bad oxygen sensor then your gas mileage can improve as much as 40%.

Check air filters regularly. Replacing a clogged filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Under inflated tires can lower gas mileage . Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

If you can leave for a work a little bit earlier and leave a little bit later you can avoid peak rush hours. During rush hour you will be more likely to sit in traffic and waste fuel.

By following these tips you can use the gas you buy much more efficiently which well help reduce how much money you spend at the pump.

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