Two-thirds of motorists are cutting back on their vehicle usage as a way to reduce fuel bills, a new survey has discovered.
Nearly half the respondents are also driving more economically to use less fuel, while over a quarter are putting off cosmetic repairs to their vehicles. Some 27.4 per cent are also cleaning their vehicles less to save extra money.
Jessica Potts, head of marketing at BookMyGarage, which conducted the survey of 2,113 motorists, said: “The impact of the financial situation in the UK is making itself felt when it comes to expenditure on car running and maintenance costs.
“For millions of families, fuel bills are a significant part of the monthly budget, and when petrol and diesel prices are still so high, cutting usage can make a real difference.
“Reducing annual mileage by just 10 per cent – or 1,000 miles – could save hundreds of pounds in fuel bills. We understand the strain many are under and while cutting fuel bills is a money saver, we wouldn’t recommend cutting corners on car maintenance as it can lead to bigger bills in the long term.”
A recent survey also conducted by BookMyGarage found that one-in-three motorists are choosing to delay or skip servicing their vehicle in the next 12 months due to ‘increasing financial pressures’ while almost half said that they were shopping around to help save money on their car maintenance costs.