How we work out your saving

Spot A Pump (Spotapump) by Spartan Tech Solutions Ltd. Figures worked out on 14 October 2026.

When we say Plus could save you about £31 a year, this is an average estimate, not a promise. Your own saving depends on where you live, how you drive and what prices are doing. Some people will save more, some less, and some nothing at all.

What we compared

1. We took 700 forecourts across the UK, chosen at random, as starting points. Each one stands in for "the forecourt nearest to you".
2. For each starting point we found the best-value forecourt within 5 miles: the one where 40 litres plus the fuel used driving there and back costs least.
3. The saving is the cost of 40 litres at the nearest forecourt, minus the cost at the best-value forecourt, drive included.
4. We did this for unleaded petrol (E10) and standard diesel, using the prices forecourts had reported to the government's Fuel Finder service that day.

The assumptions

• Fill-up: 40 litres.
• Car: 45 miles per gallon.
• Drive: there and back, at 1.3 times the straight-line distance to allow for roads.
• Prices: only prices that look sensible (80p to £3 a litre) and forecourts not marked as closed.
• How often: twice a month, so 24 fill-ups a year.

The results

• The average saving was about £1.28 a fill-up for petrol and £1.29 for diesel. Times 24 fill-ups, that's about £31 a year.
• The typical (middle) saving was lower: about 50p a fill-up, or about £12 a year. The average is higher because some drivers live near expensive forecourts and save a lot.
• For about 1 in 4 starting points, the nearest forecourt was already the best value, so the saving was nothing.
• For 1 in 10 starting points the saving was £3.20 or more a fill-up, which is over £75 a year.
• Within 5 miles of each starting point, the dearest forecourt was on average 14p a litre more than the cheapest (typically 10p). On a 40-litre fill that's up to £5.60. Driving to the cheapest isn't always worth it, which is what Best value works out.
• Plus costs £9.99 a year, so the average saving of about £31 is about 3 times the price.

Why your saving may be different

• Prices change every day, so the saving does too.
• Your car may use more or less fuel than 45 mpg, and you may fill up more or less than 40 litres.
• Your nearest forecourt may already be the cheapest.
• Real road distances can be longer or shorter than our estimate. With Plus we use real road distances for your own searches.
• Prices come from forecourts through the government's Fuel Finder service. We show them as reported, and a forecourt's price can change before you get there.
• Along a route works in the same way but depends on your trip, so we haven't given a separate figure for it.

We'll update these figures from time to time. If you have a question, email [email protected].