Martin Lewis explains why it's better to fill your car with fuel late in the evening

James Rodger & Aaron Morris
·2-min read
Martin Lewis has a tip for motorists
Martin Lewis has a tip for motorists -Credit:ITV


Martin Lewis has warned motorists that they should never fill their car with fuel at 5pm and instead wait - sharing that those who fill up later in the evening are tipped to get a 'little bit more' bang for their buck. He explained: "Talk of filling up at night getting you more is a slight urban myth, as the difference is minuscule pennies at best.

"Fuel pumps are calibrated by volume, so fill up at night when it's colder and you get a tiny, tiny bit extra."

MSE say that drivers stand to gain mildly more petrol when fuelling at night. This is because fuel pumps dispense volume-calibrated fuel, which means that you get a fraction more for your money when it's colder.

The Mirror reports that Money Saving Expert also say that people should fuel-up the minute that their tank registers as 50 miles left to empty - as it gives plenty of time to scout the best prices as opposed to hastily taking what you can get before your car conks out. The consumer champions also suggest that people use premium fuel only when advised.

Is states: "Many petrol stations sell 'high performance' fuels, yet there's little or no performance difference for most non-performance cars. So only fill up with the super-fuels if you have a sports car or you've been specifically advised that your car will actually use the petrol correctly."

On the topic, Rebecca Bebbington - who is a personal finance expert at NetVoucherCodes - said: "Petrol prices can fluctuate throughout the day, with prices typically lower during off-peak hours. Try to fill up your tank early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of potentially lower prices.

"Avoid peak times such as midday and after 5pm when the majority of the country finishes work."

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