[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":3358},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-ev-charging-costs-on-the-road":3,"blog-related-ev-charging-costs-on-the-road":284},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":264,"date":265,"description":266,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":269,"imageAlt":270,"imageCredit":271,"imageCreditUrl":272,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":273,"navigation":274,"path":275,"readTime":276,"seo":277,"stem":278,"tags":279,"__hash__":283},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fev-charging-costs-on-the-road.md","Charging an EV on the road costs more than you think","The Milesheet Team",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":253},"minimark",[10,14,19,26,32,35,39,42,138,145,152,156,159,162,165,169,176,183,186,190,193,196,200,203,206,210,244,247],[11,12,13],"p",{},"The headline case for an electric car is running cost, and on a home tariff it is genuinely compelling. The picture changes considerably once you are dependent on the public network.",[15,16,18],"h2",{"id":17},"the-two-worlds","The two worlds",[11,20,21,25],{},[22,23,24],"strong",{},"Home charging on an off-peak tariff"," can be a few pence per kWh, which puts the cost per mile in low single figures. This is where the \"a fraction of petrol\" claim comes from, and for a home-charging commuter it is accurate.",[11,27,28,31],{},[22,29,30],{},"Rapid and ultra-rapid public charging"," costs several times that. At motorway service areas in particular, the per-mile cost can approach — and occasionally exceed — a comparable diesel.",[11,33,34],{},"The same car can therefore cost 3p a mile or 20p a mile depending entirely on where it was charged.",[15,36,38],{"id":37},"the-same-car-five-ways-to-charge-it","The same car, five ways to charge it",[11,40,41],{},"An EV doing about 3.5 miles per kWh:",[43,44,45,64],"table",{},[46,47,48],"thead",{},[49,50,51,55,58,61],"tr",{},[52,53,54],"th",{},"Where you charge",[52,56,57],{},"Typical price per kWh",[52,59,60],{},"Cost per mile",[52,62,63],{},"10,000 miles",[65,66,67,82,96,110,124],"tbody",{},[49,68,69,73,76,79],{},[70,71,72],"td",{},"Home, off-peak EV tariff",[70,74,75],{},"7p",[70,77,78],{},"2.0p",[70,80,81],{},"£200",[49,83,84,87,90,93],{},[70,85,86],{},"Home, standard rate",[70,88,89],{},"25p",[70,91,92],{},"7.1p",[70,94,95],{},"£714",[49,97,98,101,104,107],{},[70,99,100],{},"Workplace \u002F destination charger",[70,102,103],{},"30–45p",[70,105,106],{},"8.6–12.9p",[70,108,109],{},"£857–£1,286",[49,111,112,115,118,121],{},[70,113,114],{},"Public rapid",[70,116,117],{},"70–80p",[70,119,120],{},"20–22.9p",[70,122,123],{},"£2,000–£2,286",[49,125,126,129,132,135],{},[70,127,128],{},"Motorway ultra-rapid",[70,130,131],{},"80–90p",[70,133,134],{},"22.9–25.7p",[70,136,137],{},"£2,286–£2,571",[11,139,140,141,144],{},"For comparison, a 45 mpg petrol car at 145p a litre costs about ",[22,142,143],{},"14.6p a mile",".",[11,146,147,148,151],{},"So an EV charged at home overnight is roughly a seventh of the petrol cost. The same car charged\nexclusively on motorway rapids costs ",[22,149,150],{},"more"," than the petrol car it replaced.",[15,153,155],{"id":154},"why-this-matters-for-business-driving","Why this matters for business driving",[11,157,158],{},"A driver whose work is local and who charges at home has running costs that make the 45p approved rate look extremely generous.",[11,160,161],{},"A driver whose work is long-distance and who charges on the network has a very different reality — and it is the one nobody models when they choose the car, because the comparison was made against home charging.",[11,163,164],{},"If you are choosing a vehicle for business use, the honest question is not \"what does it cost to charge\" but \"where will I actually be charging, on the journeys I actually make\".",[15,166,168],{"id":167},"the-rate-does-not-care","The rate does not care",[11,170,171,172,175],{},"For ",[22,173,174],{},"your own"," electric car, approved mileage rates apply exactly as for petrol: 45p for the first 10,000 business miles, then 25p. There is no separate electric rate and no adjustment for how you charged.",[11,177,178,179,182],{},"For a ",[22,180,181],{},"company"," electric car, the advisory electricity rate applies instead — a much lower per-mile figure, revised quarterly alongside Advisory Fuel Rates.",[11,184,185],{},"Claiming 45p on a company EV is a common and expensive error.",[15,187,189],{"id":188},"the-reimbursement-gap","The reimbursement gap",[11,191,192],{},"The awkward case: a company EV driver who charges at home, at their own expense, and is reimbursed at the advisory electricity rate. Depending on tariff and rate, that may over- or under-compensate them, and the treatment of home charging reimbursement has changed in recent years.",[11,194,195],{},"If that is your situation, check the current guidance rather than the arrangement you set up when you got the car.",[15,197,199],{"id":198},"knowing-your-own-number","Knowing your own number",[11,201,202],{},"The only way to know what your EV actually costs per mile is to record what you paid and how far you went — the same discipline as logging fill-ups, with charging sessions instead.",[11,204,205],{},"The reason it is worth doing: the gap between the assumed cost and the real one is much wider for electric cars than for petrol, because the price per unit varies by a factor of five depending on where you plugged in.",[15,207,209],{"id":208},"sources","Sources",[211,212,213,223,230,237],"ul",{},[214,215,216],"li",{},[217,218,222],"a",{"href":219,"rel":220},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fguidance\u002Fadvisory-fuel-rates",[221],"nofollow","HMRC — Advisory fuel rates",[214,224,225],{},[217,226,229],{"href":227,"rel":228},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fpublications\u002Frates-and-allowances-travel-mileage-and-fuel-allowances\u002Ftravel-mileage-and-fuel-rates-and-allowances",[221],"HMRC — Travel, mileage and fuel rates and allowances",[214,231,232],{},[217,233,236],{"href":234,"rel":235},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fexpenses-and-benefits-business-travel-mileage",[221],"HMRC — Business travel mileage for employees' own vehicles",[214,238,239],{},[217,240,243],{"href":241,"rel":242},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fvehicle-tax-rate-tables",[221],"DVLA — Vehicle tax rate tables",[245,246],"hr",{},[11,248,249],{},[250,251,252],"em",{},"General information, not tax advice. Advisory rates change quarterly.",{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":256},"",2,[257,258,259,260,261,262,263],{"id":17,"depth":255,"text":18},{"id":37,"depth":255,"text":38},{"id":154,"depth":255,"text":155},{"id":167,"depth":255,"text":168},{"id":188,"depth":255,"text":189},{"id":198,"depth":255,"text":199},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"Fuel & running costs","2025-04-10","Home charging is cheap. Rapid charging on a motorway is not, and the gap changes what a business trip actually costs.",false,"md","\u002Fblog\u002Fev-charging-costs-on-the-road.jpg","An electric car plugged in at a charging point","CC0 public domain","https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Fpublicdomain\u002Fzero\u002F1.0\u002F",{},true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fev-charging-costs-on-the-road",3,{"title":5,"description":266},"blog\u002Fev-charging-costs-on-the-road",[280,281,282],"electric","charging","running costs","dbmToA2WYoVXHzcnZRuYVQVL8kDg2ZNul5-cdVNFFI0",[285,660,1017,1234,1507,1804,2070,2366,2603,2809,2964,3189],{"id":286,"title":287,"author":6,"body":288,"category":264,"date":646,"description":647,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":648,"imageAlt":649,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":274,"meta":651,"navigation":274,"path":652,"readTime":653,"seo":654,"stem":655,"tags":656,"__hash__":659},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Freal-mpg-vs-official-figures.md","Real MPG: why your car never matches the brochure",{"type":8,"value":289,"toc":636},[290,293,297,304,307,311,343,347,350,362,365,370,373,376,380,383,386,389,393,396,468,471,475,478,544,547,551,612,615,617],[11,291,292],{},"Almost nobody gets the fuel economy printed in the brochure. That is not because the manufacturer lied, it is because the figure was never a promise about your driving.",[15,294,296],{"id":295},"where-the-number-comes-from","Where the number comes from",[11,298,299,300,303],{},"Official economy figures come from a standardised laboratory test. Since 2017 that has been ",[22,301,302],{},"WLTP",", which replaced the older and much more flattering NEDC cycle. WLTP is a great deal closer to reality than what came before, but it is still a controlled procedure: fixed temperature, a defined speed profile, no headwind, no roof box, no traffic, no you.",[11,305,306],{},"Its job is to let you compare two cars fairly. It was never designed to predict what your commute costs.",[15,308,310],{"id":309},"why-your-number-is-lower","Why your number is lower",[211,312,313,319,325,331,337],{},[214,314,315,318],{},[22,316,317],{},"Short trips."," A cold engine is a thirsty engine. Two miles to the station can return half what the same car does on a motorway run.",[214,320,321,324],{},[22,322,323],{},"Speed."," Air resistance climbs with the square of speed. Seventy costs a lot more than sixty.",[214,326,327,330],{},[22,328,329],{},"Weight and drag."," Roof bars, a boot full of tools, a bike rack you left on since June.",[214,332,333,336],{},[22,334,335],{},"Winter."," Denser air, warm-up cycles, lights and heaters. A 10% seasonal swing is unremarkable.",[214,338,339,342],{},[22,340,341],{},"How you drive."," Anticipation is worth more than any gadget you can buy.",[15,344,346],{"id":345},"working-out-the-number-that-actually-matters","Working out the number that actually matters",[11,348,349],{},"You only need two things: a full tank, and the next full tank.",[351,352,353,356,359],"ol",{},[214,354,355],{},"Fill the tank completely and note the odometer.",[214,357,358],{},"Drive as you normally would.",[214,360,361],{},"Fill it completely again, note the odometer and the litres that went in.",[11,363,364],{},"Then:",[11,366,367],{},[22,368,369],{},"MPG = (miles driven ÷ litres) × 4.546",[11,371,372],{},"That 4.546 is the litres in an imperial gallon, which is what UK mpg is quoted in. Miss it and you will produce a US mpg figure that is 20% too low, which is a classic way to convince yourself something is wrong with the car.",[11,374,375],{},"One tank is a snapshot. Three or four gives you the number to plan with.",[15,377,379],{"id":378},"what-it-is-worth-knowing","What it is worth knowing",[11,381,382],{},"Real economy is what turns a distance into a cost. At 145.9p a litre, a 40-mile round trip costs about £5.80 in a car doing 52 mpg, and about £8.60 in the same journey at 35 mpg. Over a working year that difference is a holiday.",[11,384,385],{},"It also decides whether the 45p a mile you can claim is generous or barely covers the fuel. For an efficient car it comfortably covers running costs. For a thirsty one towing a trailer, it is doing well to break even.",[11,387,388],{},"Milesheet works this out for you: log each fill-up with the litres, the cost and the odometer, and it derives your real MPG between full tanks, then prices every journey with your own number instead of the brochure's.",[15,390,392],{"id":391},"what-the-gap-typically-looks-like","What the gap typically looks like",[11,394,395],{},"Real-world economy usually lands below the official figure. The size of the gap varies by\npowertrain more than by brand:",[43,397,398,411],{},[46,399,400],{},[49,401,402,405,408],{},[52,403,404],{},"Powertrain",[52,406,407],{},"Typical shortfall against official",[52,409,410],{},"Why",[65,412,413,424,435,446,457],{},[49,414,415,418,421],{},[70,416,417],{},"Petrol, non-turbo",[70,419,420],{},"5–15%",[70,422,423],{},"Closest to the test conditions",[49,425,426,429,432],{},[70,427,428],{},"Petrol, small turbo",[70,430,431],{},"15–25%",[70,433,434],{},"Test rewards low-load running the real world does not do",[49,436,437,440,443],{},[70,438,439],{},"Diesel",[70,441,442],{},"10–20%",[70,444,445],{},"Efficient on long runs, poor on short ones",[49,447,448,451,454],{},[70,449,450],{},"Hybrid",[70,452,453],{},"10–30%",[70,455,456],{},"Depends entirely on journey length and temperature",[49,458,459,462,465],{},[70,460,461],{},"Plug-in hybrid",[70,463,464],{},"Can be enormous",[70,466,467],{},"Official figure assumes you charge it",[11,469,470],{},"The plug-in case is the one that misleads most. A PHEV driven without charging returns something\nclose to a heavy petrol car, not the headline figure.",[15,472,474],{"id":473},"working-out-your-own-properly","Working out your own, properly",[11,476,477],{},"You need two full-tank fills with odometer readings:",[43,479,480,490],{},[46,481,482],{},[49,483,484,487],{},[52,485,486],{},"Step",[52,488,489],{},"Example",[65,491,492,500,508,516,524,532],{},[49,493,494,497],{},[70,495,496],{},"Fill to the brim, note odometer",[70,498,499],{},"44,120 mi",[49,501,502,505],{},[70,503,504],{},"Drive normally",[70,506,507],{},"—",[49,509,510,513],{},[70,511,512],{},"Fill to the brim again, note odometer and litres",[70,514,515],{},"44,472 mi, 38.6 L",[49,517,518,521],{},[70,519,520],{},"Miles covered",[70,522,523],{},"352",[49,525,526,529],{},[70,527,528],{},"Gallons used (litres ÷ 4.546)",[70,530,531],{},"8.49",[49,533,534,539],{},[70,535,536],{},[22,537,538],{},"Real MPG",[70,540,541],{},[22,542,543],{},"41.5",[11,545,546],{},"The brim matters more than the arithmetic. Filling to the first click both times is what makes the\ntwo measurements comparable; a splash-and-dash in the middle is fine as long as you add its litres\nin.",[15,548,550],{"id":549},"what-it-changes","What it changes",[43,552,553,566],{},[46,554,555],{},[49,556,557,560,563],{},[52,558,559],{},"Figure",[52,561,562],{},"Using the brochure (52 mpg)",[52,564,565],{},"Using the real number (41.5 mpg)",[65,567,568,579,590,601],{},[49,569,570,573,576],{},[70,571,572],{},"Cost per mile at 145p\u002FL",[70,574,575],{},"12.7p",[70,577,578],{},"15.9p",[49,580,581,584,587],{},[70,582,583],{},"Fuel for 10,000 miles",[70,585,586],{},"£1,268",[70,588,589],{},"£1,590",[49,591,592,595,598],{},[70,593,594],{},"Fuel on a 300-mile round trip",[70,596,597],{},"£38",[70,599,600],{},"£48",[49,602,603,606,609],{},[70,604,605],{},"Is 45p a mile generous?",[70,607,608],{},"Very",[70,610,611],{},"Comfortably, but less so",[11,613,614],{},"A 25% error in economy is a 25% error in every journey cost you calculate — including what you tell\nfriends they owe for petrol.",[15,616,209],{"id":208},[211,618,619,624,631],{},[214,620,621],{},[217,622,229],{"href":227,"rel":623},[221],[214,625,626],{},[217,627,630],{"href":628,"rel":629},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fsimplified-expenses-checker",[221],"HMRC — Simplified expenses checker",[214,632,633],{},[217,634,243],{"href":241,"rel":635},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":637},[638,639,640,641,642,643,644,645],{"id":295,"depth":255,"text":296},{"id":309,"depth":255,"text":310},{"id":345,"depth":255,"text":346},{"id":378,"depth":255,"text":379},{"id":391,"depth":255,"text":392},{"id":473,"depth":255,"text":474},{"id":549,"depth":255,"text":550},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-07-15","Where official economy figures come from, why the gap is normal, and how two full tanks tell you the only number that matters.","\u002Fshots\u002Ffuel.png","Real-world economy worked out from fill-ups in Milesheet",null,{},"\u002Fblog\u002Freal-mpg-vs-official-figures",4,{"title":287,"description":647},"blog\u002Freal-mpg-vs-official-figures",[657,658,282],"fuel","mpg","r04VIU6iysMRHT42Eukbr84P2EGfGis1lQ2-7OFbZqE",{"id":661,"title":662,"author":6,"body":663,"category":264,"date":1007,"description":1008,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":650,"imageAlt":650,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":1009,"navigation":274,"path":1010,"readTime":653,"seo":1011,"stem":1012,"tags":1013,"__hash__":1016},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fcutting-fuel-costs-same-commute.md","Nine ways to cut fuel costs on the same commute",{"type":8,"value":664,"toc":991},[665,668,672,675,679,682,686,689,693,696,700,703,707,710,714,717,721,724,728,731,735,738,741,745,748,866,869,873,927,931,934,965,968,970],[11,666,667],{},"You cannot always change the journey. You can change what it costs. Roughly in order of what they return:",[15,669,671],{"id":670},"_1-ease-off-the-throttle","1. Ease off the throttle",[11,673,674],{},"Air resistance rises with the square of speed, so the last ten miles per hour are the expensive ones. Dropping from 75 to 65 on a motorway run typically saves in the region of 10 to 15% of the fuel, and costs you a couple of minutes an hour.",[15,676,678],{"id":677},"_2-anticipate-instead-of-react","2. Anticipate instead of react",[11,680,681],{},"Lifting early for a red light rather than braking late is free. Every drop of fuel you spend building speed you then throw away as heat in the brakes. This is the single biggest difference between two people driving the same route in the same car.",[15,683,685],{"id":684},"_3-check-your-tyre-pressures","3. Check your tyre pressures",[11,687,688],{},"Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance measurably, and most cars on the road are down a few PSI. It takes five minutes a month, helps the tyres last longer, and is a safety item anyway.",[15,690,692],{"id":691},"_4-take-the-roof-bars-off","4. Take the roof bars off",[11,694,695],{},"A roof rack or box is a serious aerodynamic penalty at motorway speed, easily 10 to 20% on a small car. If it has been on since the summer holiday, that is expensive storage.",[15,697,699],{"id":698},"_5-empty-the-boot","5. Empty the boot",[11,701,702],{},"Weight matters most in town, where you are accelerating repeatedly. The bag of sand from a job in March is not helping.",[15,704,706],{"id":705},"_6-combine-trips","6. Combine trips",[11,708,709],{},"A cold engine is dramatically less efficient for the first few miles. Three short errands from cold cost far more than one loop that does all three.",[15,711,713],{"id":712},"_7-buy-fuel-on-price-not-on-habit","7. Buy fuel on price, not on habit",[11,715,716],{},"Supermarket forecourts are usually cheaper than motorway services by a wide margin. Filling up before a long run rather than on it is often worth several pounds a tank for a two-minute detour.",[15,718,720],{"id":719},"_8-service-it-when-it-asks","8. Service it when it asks",[11,722,723],{},"A clogged air filter, tired plugs or the wrong oil grade all cost economy. Servicing is not just about avoiding failure.",[15,725,727],{"id":726},"_9-know-your-real-number","9. Know your real number",[11,729,730],{},"You cannot manage what you do not measure. Work out your actual MPG between two full tanks rather than trusting the trip computer, which is often optimistic by a few percent.",[15,732,734],{"id":733},"the-one-that-pays-for-all-the-others","The one that pays for all the others",[11,736,737],{},"If any of your driving is for work, the mileage claim is worth more than every tip above combined. At 45p a mile, 200 business miles a month is £1,080 a year of allowance, and for an efficient car that is comfortably more than the fuel it burned.",[11,739,740],{},"The catch is that unclaimed miles are worth nothing. That is the entire reason Milesheet exists: record the journey while it happens, sort it in seconds, and let the claim add itself up.",[15,742,744],{"id":743},"what-each-habit-is-actually-worth","What each habit is actually worth",[11,746,747],{},"Ranked by what it saves on 10,000 miles a year at 45 mpg and 145p a litre — roughly £1,460 of fuel:",[43,749,750,766],{},[46,751,752],{},[49,753,754,757,760,763],{},[52,755,756],{},"Change",[52,758,759],{},"Typical saving",[52,761,762],{},"Per year",[52,764,765],{},"Effort",[65,767,768,782,796,810,824,838,852],{},[49,769,770,773,776,779],{},[70,771,772],{},"Take the roof box or bars off",[70,774,775],{},"5–20% when fitted",[70,777,778],{},"up to £290",[70,780,781],{},"Ten minutes",[49,783,784,787,790,793],{},[70,785,786],{},"Keep tyres at the right pressure",[70,788,789],{},"2–4%",[70,791,792],{},"£30–£60",[70,794,795],{},"Five minutes a month",[49,797,798,801,804,807],{},[70,799,800],{},"Ease off from 80 to 70 on motorways",[70,802,803],{},"10–15% of motorway miles",[70,805,806],{},"varies",[70,808,809],{},"Free",[49,811,812,815,818,821],{},[70,813,814],{},"Combine short trips into one",[70,816,817],{},"5–10% for short-trip drivers",[70,819,820],{},"£70–£145",[70,822,823],{},"Planning",[49,825,826,829,832,835],{},[70,827,828],{},"Lose 50 kg of junk from the boot",[70,830,831],{},"1–2%",[70,833,834],{},"£15–£30",[70,836,837],{},"Fifteen minutes",[49,839,840,843,846,849],{},[70,841,842],{},"Service on schedule, right oil",[70,844,845],{},"1–3%",[70,847,848],{},"£15–£45",[70,850,851],{},"Already doing it",[49,853,854,857,860,863],{},[70,855,856],{},"Air con off in town",[70,858,859],{},"1–3% in summer",[70,861,862],{},"Small",[70,864,865],{},"Uncomfortable",[11,867,868],{},"The top two are the ones worth actually doing: high value, near-zero effort, and neither of them\nmakes the drive worse.",[15,870,872],{"id":871},"the-ones-that-are-mostly-myth","The ones that are mostly myth",[43,874,875,885],{},[46,876,877],{},[49,878,879,882],{},[52,880,881],{},"Claim",[52,883,884],{},"Reality",[65,886,887,895,903,911,919],{},[49,888,889,892],{},[70,890,891],{},"\"Fill up when it's cold, fuel is denser\"",[70,893,894],{},"The difference is far below what you can measure",[49,896,897,900],{},[70,898,899],{},"\"Premium fuel improves economy\"",[70,901,902],{},"Only in engines that require it; otherwise negligible",[49,904,905,908],{},[70,906,907],{},"\"Coasting in neutral saves fuel\"",[70,909,910],{},"Modern engines cut fuel on the overrun; neutral uses more",[49,912,913,916],{},[70,914,915],{},"\"Half a tank saves weight\"",[70,917,918],{},"~20 kg. Below the noise, and you refuel twice as often",[49,920,921,924],{},[70,922,923],{},"\"Warm the engine up on the drive\"",[70,925,926],{},"Idling returns 0 mpg. Drive gently instead",[15,928,930],{"id":929},"and-the-one-that-dwarfs-all-of-them","And the one that dwarfs all of them",[11,932,933],{},"If any of your driving is for work, the mileage claim is worth more than every habit above\ncombined:",[43,935,936,945],{},[46,937,938],{},[49,939,940,942],{},[52,941],{},[52,943,944],{},"Annual value",[65,946,947,955],{},[49,948,949,952],{},[70,950,951],{},"Every fuel-saving habit above, done diligently",[70,953,954],{},"£150–£400",[49,956,957,960],{},[70,958,959],{},"200 business miles a month, claimed at the approved rates",[70,961,962],{},[22,963,964],{},"£1,080",[11,966,967],{},"The catch is that unclaimed miles are worth nothing at all, which is the entire reason to keep a\nrecord.",[15,969,209],{"id":208},[211,971,972,979,986],{},[214,973,974],{},[217,975,978],{"href":976,"rel":977},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fstatistics\u002Fweekly-road-fuel-prices",[221],"DESNZ — Weekly road fuel prices",[214,980,981],{},[217,982,985],{"href":983,"rel":984},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fgovernment\u002Fstatistical-data-sets\u002Foil-and-petroleum-products-weekly-statistics",[221],"DESNZ — Oil and petroleum products, weekly statistics",[214,987,988],{},[217,989,229],{"href":227,"rel":990},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":992},[993,994,995,996,997,998,999,1000,1001,1002,1003,1004,1005,1006],{"id":670,"depth":255,"text":671},{"id":677,"depth":255,"text":678},{"id":684,"depth":255,"text":685},{"id":691,"depth":255,"text":692},{"id":698,"depth":255,"text":699},{"id":705,"depth":255,"text":706},{"id":712,"depth":255,"text":713},{"id":719,"depth":255,"text":720},{"id":726,"depth":255,"text":727},{"id":733,"depth":255,"text":734},{"id":743,"depth":255,"text":744},{"id":871,"depth":255,"text":872},{"id":929,"depth":255,"text":930},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-06-18","No new car, no lifestyle change. The habits and checks that actually move the needle, roughly in order of what they are worth.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fcutting-fuel-costs-same-commute",{"title":662,"description":1008},"blog\u002Fcutting-fuel-costs-same-commute",[657,1014,1015],"savings","driving","e1l71EXdrbbkXEB7O0sTgtrEEV1xOJR0Q61xWEiSlPk",{"id":1018,"title":1019,"author":6,"body":1020,"category":264,"date":1222,"description":1223,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1224,"imageAlt":1225,"imageCredit":1226,"imageCreditUrl":272,"imageIsScreenshot":274,"meta":1227,"navigation":274,"path":1228,"readTime":276,"seo":1229,"stem":1230,"tags":1231,"__hash__":1233},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-winter-mpg-drops.md","Why your MPG falls off a cliff every winter",{"type":8,"value":1021,"toc":1211},[1022,1025,1029,1032,1035,1039,1042,1045,1049,1052,1056,1059,1063,1066,1070,1152,1156,1182,1185,1189,1192,1194],[11,1023,1024],{},"If you keep a fill-up log for a year, the shape that emerges is remarkably consistent: economy peaks in summer, sags through autumn and bottoms out in January or February. A 10–20% swing between best and worst month is entirely normal. Here is where it goes.",[15,1026,1028],{"id":1027},"the-engine-spends-longer-cold","The engine spends longer cold",[11,1030,1031],{},"This is the big one, and it is mostly about short journeys. A cold engine runs a richer mixture until it reaches operating temperature, and oil is thicker so there is more drag to overcome. In summer that warm-up might take four or five minutes. In February it takes considerably longer.",[11,1033,1034],{},"If your typical drive is twenty minutes, a large fraction of it is now happening at poor efficiency. If your typical drive is two hours, the warm-up barely registers. The same weather hits a short-hop driver far harder than a motorway one.",[15,1036,1038],{"id":1037},"everything-electrical-is-on","Everything electrical is on",[11,1040,1041],{},"Heated seats, heated rear screen, heated mirrors, blowers, lights, wipers. All of it is load on the alternator, and the alternator is turned by the engine, which burns fuel to do it. Individually trivial, collectively noticeable.",[11,1043,1044],{},"Air conditioning, incidentally, usually runs in winter too — most cars use the compressor to dry the air when demisting.",[15,1046,1048],{"id":1047},"the-air-is-denser","The air is denser",[11,1050,1051],{},"Cold air is denser, which means more aerodynamic drag at any given speed. It is a small effect around town and a real one at motorway speeds.",[15,1053,1055],{"id":1054},"tyres-lose-pressure","Tyres lose pressure",[11,1057,1058],{},"Pressure falls as temperature drops, roughly 1–2 PSI for every 10°C. A tyre set correctly in September can be meaningfully soft by December, and soft tyres cost fuel through rolling resistance. This is the one on the list that is free to fix.",[15,1060,1062],{"id":1061},"winter-fuel-is-slightly-different","Winter fuel is slightly different",[11,1064,1065],{},"Fuel blends are adjusted seasonally for cold-weather performance, and winter blends carry marginally less energy per litre. It is a small contributor, but it is real and it is not something you control.",[15,1067,1069],{"id":1068},"where-the-winter-economy-goes","Where the winter economy goes",[43,1071,1072,1085],{},[46,1073,1074],{},[49,1075,1076,1079,1082],{},[52,1077,1078],{},"Cause",[52,1080,1081],{},"Typical share of the loss",[52,1083,1084],{},"Can you do anything?",[65,1086,1087,1098,1109,1120,1133,1142],{},[49,1088,1089,1092,1095],{},[70,1090,1091],{},"Longer warm-up on short journeys",[70,1093,1094],{},"Largest",[70,1096,1097],{},"Combine trips",[49,1099,1100,1103,1106],{},[70,1101,1102],{},"Electrical load — heaters, lights, wipers",[70,1104,1105],{},"Moderate",[70,1107,1108],{},"Not really",[49,1110,1111,1114,1117],{},[70,1112,1113],{},"Denser cold air, more drag",[70,1115,1116],{},"Moderate at speed",[70,1118,1119],{},"No",[49,1121,1122,1125,1128],{},[70,1123,1124],{},"Tyre pressure dropping with temperature",[70,1126,1127],{},"Small but free to fix",[70,1129,1130],{},[22,1131,1132],{},"Yes",[49,1134,1135,1138,1140],{},[70,1136,1137],{},"Winter fuel blend",[70,1139,862],{},[70,1141,1119],{},[49,1143,1144,1147,1150],{},[70,1145,1146],{},"Snow, slush, standing water",[70,1148,1149],{},"Variable",[70,1151,1119],{},[15,1153,1155],{"id":1154},"what-actually-helps","What actually helps",[211,1157,1158,1164,1170,1176],{},[214,1159,1160,1163],{},[22,1161,1162],{},"Check pressures monthly through winter",", not annually",[214,1165,1166,1169],{},[22,1167,1168],{},"Combine short trips"," where you can — one warm engine doing three errands beats three cold starts",[214,1171,1172,1175],{},[22,1173,1174],{},"Do not idle to warm up",". Modern engines warm faster under gentle load, and idling returns exactly zero miles per gallon",[214,1177,1178,1181],{},[22,1179,1180],{},"Take the roof box off"," when you are not using it",[11,1183,1184],{},"What does not help much: driving more slowly than the traffic, or agonising over the heater. Use the heater. You will not save enough to matter and you will be miserable.",[15,1186,1188],{"id":1187},"know-your-own-numbers","Know your own numbers",[11,1190,1191],{},"The reason to log fill-ups is that this stops being folklore and becomes your car. Milesheet works out MPG between full tanks and charts it, so the winter dip is visible as a shape rather than a suspicion — and if a tank is unusually bad for the time of year, that is worth investigating rather than shrugging at.",[15,1193,209],{"id":208},[211,1195,1196,1201,1206],{},[214,1197,1198],{},[217,1199,978],{"href":976,"rel":1200},[221],[214,1202,1203],{},[217,1204,985],{"href":983,"rel":1205},[221],[214,1207,1208],{},[217,1209,229],{"href":227,"rel":1210},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":1212},[1213,1214,1215,1216,1217,1218,1219,1220,1221],{"id":1027,"depth":255,"text":1028},{"id":1037,"depth":255,"text":1038},{"id":1047,"depth":255,"text":1048},{"id":1054,"depth":255,"text":1055},{"id":1061,"depth":255,"text":1062},{"id":1068,"depth":255,"text":1069},{"id":1154,"depth":255,"text":1155},{"id":1187,"depth":255,"text":1188},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-04-23","Cold engines, denser air, heated everything: the reasons a January tank goes less far than a July one, and how much of it you can do anything about.","\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-winter-mpg-drops.jpg","City street in falling snow","Photo by Osman Rana, CC0 public domain",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-winter-mpg-drops",{"title":1019,"description":1223},"blog\u002Fwhy-winter-mpg-drops",[657,658,1232],"winter","ahF0cTiw9UEGrWje2im7EE08tewGEUzTq5lJGn752K0",{"id":1235,"title":1236,"author":6,"body":1237,"category":264,"date":1495,"description":1496,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1497,"imageAlt":1498,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":274,"meta":1499,"navigation":274,"path":1500,"readTime":276,"seo":1501,"stem":1502,"tags":1503,"__hash__":1506},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fsplitting-petrol-with-friends.md","Working out what your passengers actually owe you",{"type":8,"value":1238,"toc":1486},[1239,1242,1245,1249,1252,1257,1260,1266,1273,1277,1280,1286,1292,1295,1299,1302,1393,1397,1400,1449,1452,1456,1459,1462,1466,1469,1472,1474],[11,1240,1241],{},"Somebody drives, everyone says they will chip in, and then nobody knows what the number is. It gets settled with a round guess that is either generous or resentful, and often both across the same weekend.",[11,1243,1244],{},"The number is knowable. Here is how to get it.",[15,1246,1248],{"id":1247},"start-with-what-the-journey-actually-cost","Start with what the journey actually cost",[11,1250,1251],{},"The honest figure is fuel used, not fuel bought. You want:",[11,1253,1254],{},[22,1255,1256],{},"litres used = miles ÷ (mpg ÷ 4.546)",[11,1258,1259],{},"then multiply by what you paid per litre.",[11,1261,1262,1263,144],{},"A 300-mile round trip in a car doing a real 42 mpg uses about 32.5 litres. At 145p a litre, that is roughly ",[22,1264,1265],{},"£47",[11,1267,1268,1269,1272],{},"Note ",[250,1270,1271],{},"real"," mpg. The brochure figure will understate what the trip cost, usually by 10–20%, and you are the one absorbing the difference. Two full tanks with odometer readings tell you your own number, which is the only one worth using here.",[15,1274,1276],{"id":1275},"then-decide-who-is-paying","Then decide who is paying",[11,1278,1279],{},"This is where it turns social rather than arithmetic, and there are two defensible answers.",[11,1281,1282,1285],{},[22,1283,1284],{},"Everyone shares, driver included."," Four people, £47 of fuel, £11.75 each. The logic: everyone is going to the same place and benefits equally, and the driver is already contributing the car, the wear and the driving.",[11,1287,1288,1291],{},[22,1289,1290],{},"Passengers cover the fuel."," Three passengers split £47, £15.67 each, driver pays nothing. The logic: the driver is providing the vehicle and doing the work, so the least the others can do is cover the consumable.",[11,1293,1294],{},"Neither is wrong. The mistake is not agreeing which one you are doing until somebody is being asked for money.",[15,1296,1298],{"id":1297},"what-common-trips-actually-cost","What common trips actually cost",[11,1300,1301],{},"At 145p a litre, using real economy rather than the brochure:",[43,1303,1304,1323],{},[46,1305,1306],{},[49,1307,1308,1311,1314,1317,1320],{},[52,1309,1310],{},"Trip",[52,1312,1313],{},"Miles",[52,1315,1316],{},"At 35 mpg",[52,1318,1319],{},"At 45 mpg",[52,1321,1322],{},"At 55 mpg",[65,1324,1325,1342,1359,1376],{},[49,1326,1327,1330,1333,1336,1339],{},[70,1328,1329],{},"Night out, 30 mi round",[70,1331,1332],{},"30",[70,1334,1335],{},"£5.65",[70,1337,1338],{},"£4.40",[70,1340,1341],{},"£3.60",[49,1343,1344,1347,1350,1353,1356],{},[70,1345,1346],{},"Day out, 120 mi round",[70,1348,1349],{},"120",[70,1351,1352],{},"£22.60",[70,1354,1355],{},"£17.55",[70,1357,1358],{},"£14.35",[49,1360,1361,1364,1367,1370,1373],{},[70,1362,1363],{},"Weekend away, 250 mi round",[70,1365,1366],{},"250",[70,1368,1369],{},"£47.05",[70,1371,1372],{},"£36.60",[70,1374,1375],{},"£29.95",[49,1377,1378,1381,1384,1387,1390],{},[70,1379,1380],{},"Long haul, 500 mi round",[70,1382,1383],{},"500",[70,1385,1386],{},"£94.15",[70,1388,1389],{},"£73.15",[70,1391,1392],{},"£59.85",[15,1394,1396],{"id":1395},"splitting-it-four-ways","Splitting it four ways",[11,1398,1399],{},"A 250-mile round trip costing £36.60 in a 45 mpg car:",[43,1401,1402,1415],{},[46,1403,1404],{},[49,1405,1406,1409,1412],{},[52,1407,1408],{},"Method",[52,1410,1411],{},"Driver pays",[52,1413,1414],{},"Each passenger pays",[65,1416,1417,1427,1438],{},[49,1418,1419,1422,1425],{},[70,1420,1421],{},"Everyone shares equally (4 people)",[70,1423,1424],{},"£9.15",[70,1426,1424],{},[49,1428,1429,1432,1435],{},[70,1430,1431],{},"Passengers cover the fuel (3 passengers)",[70,1433,1434],{},"£0",[70,1436,1437],{},"£12.20",[49,1439,1440,1443,1446],{},[70,1441,1442],{},"Passengers cover half",[70,1444,1445],{},"£18.30",[70,1447,1448],{},"£6.10",[11,1450,1451],{},"The gap between the first two is about £3 a head. It is almost never the money that causes the\nargument — it is that nobody said which one was happening.",[15,1453,1455],{"id":1454},"what-about-wear-and-tear-not-just-fuel","What about wear and tear, not just fuel?",[11,1457,1458],{},"Fuel is roughly a third to a half of the true cost of running a car once you count tyres, servicing, depreciation and insurance. That is the reasoning behind HMRC's 45p a mile, which is meant to cover the lot.",[11,1460,1461],{},"For a trip with mates, charging full whack-per-mile usually feels like running a taxi service. Fuel is the convention because it is the cost that visibly happened. Worth knowing the difference, though, before you conclude you broke even.",[15,1463,1465],{"id":1464},"keep-it-out-of-the-group-chat","Keep it out of the group chat",[11,1467,1468],{},"The thing that makes this awkward is not the money, it is the ambiguity. A figure someone worked out, showing distance and fuel price, ends the conversation. A guess invites negotiation.",[11,1470,1471],{},"Milesheet costs the journey from your own measured economy, splits it between however many were in the car — with or without the driver taking a share — and shares the drive as a PDF with the route and the numbers on it. Send that instead of a text saying \"about twenty quid?\".",[15,1473,209],{"id":208},[211,1475,1476,1481],{},[214,1477,1478],{},[217,1479,978],{"href":976,"rel":1480},[221],[214,1482,1483],{},[217,1484,229],{"href":227,"rel":1485},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":1487},[1488,1489,1490,1491,1492,1493,1494],{"id":1247,"depth":255,"text":1248},{"id":1275,"depth":255,"text":1276},{"id":1297,"depth":255,"text":1298},{"id":1395,"depth":255,"text":1396},{"id":1454,"depth":255,"text":1455},{"id":1464,"depth":255,"text":1465},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-04-02","Petrol money without the guesswork: what a journey really cost, how to divide it fairly, and why the driver's share is the argument.","\u002Fshots\u002Ftrips.png","Journeys recorded in Milesheet, business and personal alike",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fsplitting-petrol-with-friends",{"title":1236,"description":1496},"blog\u002Fsplitting-petrol-with-friends",[657,1504,1505],"sharing","road trips","PLuAibM22ejdtbZArhEtHEvt1TWFfRJK0si7Ks0bPaM",{"id":1508,"title":1509,"author":6,"body":1510,"category":264,"date":1791,"description":1792,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":1795,"navigation":274,"path":1796,"readTime":276,"seo":1797,"stem":1798,"tags":1799,"__hash__":1803},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fbusiness-use-car-insurance.md","Does your insurance actually cover driving for work?",{"type":8,"value":1511,"toc":1782},[1512,1523,1526,1530,1562,1569,1573,1654,1657,1661,1664,1667,1671,1737,1741,1744,1747,1751,1754,1757,1759,1775,1777],[11,1513,1514,1515,1518,1519,1522],{},"Most private policies are written as ",[22,1516,1517],{},"social, domestic and pleasure",", often with ",[22,1520,1521],{},"commuting"," added. Neither of those covers driving to a client, a site, or a second office as part of your job.",[11,1524,1525],{},"If you are claiming mileage for business journeys, it is worth checking that the policy covering those journeys knows about them.",[15,1527,1529],{"id":1528},"the-classes-roughly","The classes, roughly",[211,1531,1532,1538,1544,1550,1556],{},[214,1533,1534,1537],{},[22,1535,1536],{},"SD&P"," — personal use only. Not commuting, not work.",[214,1539,1540,1543],{},[22,1541,1542],{},"SD&P + commuting"," — adds travel between home and one permanent place of work.",[214,1545,1546,1549],{},[22,1547,1548],{},"Class 1 business use"," — adds driving in connection with your work, for you and usually a named spouse.",[214,1551,1552,1555],{},[22,1553,1554],{},"Class 2"," — as class 1, but with additional named drivers doing the same.",[214,1557,1558,1561],{},[22,1559,1560],{},"Class 3 \u002F commercial travelling"," — for people whose job is substantially driving: sales rounds, deliveries, mobile trades.",[11,1563,1564,1565,1568],{},"The gap that catches people is between commuting and class 1. Driving to ",[250,1566,1567],{},"your"," office is commuting. Driving from your office to a customer is business use, and it is a different class.",[15,1570,1572],{"id":1571},"which-class-covers-what","Which class covers what",[43,1574,1575,1588],{},[46,1576,1577],{},[49,1578,1579,1582,1585],{},[52,1580,1581],{},"Class",[52,1583,1584],{},"Covers",[52,1586,1587],{},"Does not cover",[65,1589,1590,1601,1611,1624,1635,1644],{},[49,1591,1592,1595,1598],{},[70,1593,1594],{},"Social, domestic & pleasure",[70,1596,1597],{},"Personal use",[70,1599,1600],{},"Commuting, any work driving",[49,1602,1603,1605,1608],{},[70,1604,1542],{},[70,1606,1607],{},"Above, plus home to one permanent workplace",[70,1609,1610],{},"Driving to clients or sites",[49,1612,1613,1618,1621],{},[70,1614,1615],{},[22,1616,1617],{},"Class 1 business",[70,1619,1620],{},"Above, plus driving in connection with your work",[70,1622,1623],{},"Carrying goods for sale, other drivers",[49,1625,1626,1629,1632],{},[70,1627,1628],{},"Class 2 business",[70,1630,1631],{},"Class 1 for additional named drivers",[70,1633,1634],{},"Commercial travelling",[49,1636,1637,1639,1642],{},[70,1638,1560],{},[70,1640,1641],{},"Driving as the substance of the job",[70,1643,507],{},[49,1645,1646,1649,1652],{},[70,1647,1648],{},"Goods \u002F commercial policy",[70,1650,1651],{},"Carrying tools, stock, goods",[70,1653,507],{},[11,1655,1656],{},"The gap most people sit in is between the second and third rows.",[15,1658,1660],{"id":1659},"why-it-matters-more-than-the-premium","Why it matters more than the premium",[11,1662,1663],{},"Class 1 usually costs very little to add — often a few pounds a year, sometimes nothing. Driving without it does not usually mean a slightly reduced payout. It can mean the claim is declined and, because using a vehicle without valid insurance is an offence in itself, consequences beyond the accident.",[11,1665,1666],{},"This is a rare case where the cheap answer and the safe answer are the same answer.",[15,1668,1670],{"id":1669},"what-to-declare","What to declare",[43,1672,1673,1683],{},[46,1674,1675],{},[49,1676,1677,1680],{},[52,1678,1679],{},"If you",[52,1681,1682],{},"You probably need",[65,1684,1685,1692,1701,1708,1718,1726],{},[49,1686,1687,1690],{},[70,1688,1689],{},"Drive only to one fixed workplace",[70,1691,1542],{},[49,1693,1694,1697],{},[70,1695,1696],{},"Visit clients or sites occasionally",[70,1698,1699],{},[22,1700,1617],{},[49,1702,1703,1706],{},[70,1704,1705],{},"Drive between sites as the substance of the job",[70,1707,1560],{},[49,1709,1710,1713],{},[70,1711,1712],{},"Carry tools, stock or goods for sale",[70,1714,1715],{},[22,1716,1717],{},"Commercial policy",[49,1719,1720,1723],{},[70,1721,1722],{},"Carry colleagues who chip in for fuel",[70,1724,1725],{},"Usually fine on class 1",[49,1727,1728,1731],{},[70,1729,1730],{},"Carry passengers for a fare",[70,1732,1733,1736],{},[22,1734,1735],{},"Hire and reward"," — a different policy entirely",[15,1738,1740],{"id":1739},"the-self-employed-wrinkle","The self-employed wrinkle",[11,1742,1743],{},"If you are self-employed, the line between \"my car\" and \"the business's car\" is often blurred in practice and completely sharp in an insurer's wording. Carrying tools, stock or goods for sale usually needs commercial cover rather than class 1, whatever the mileage looks like.",[11,1745,1746],{},"Carrying a passenger for payment — even informally, even a colleague chipping in for petrol — can also fall outside a private policy. Splitting fuel costs between friends on a shared trip is generally fine; charging a fare is not.",[15,1748,1750],{"id":1749},"the-connection-to-your-mileage-log","The connection to your mileage log",[11,1752,1753],{},"If you are recording business journeys carefully enough to claim them, you already have the evidence of how much business driving you actually do. That is the number your insurer is asking about when they ask how you use the car — and a real figure is a better answer than a shrug.",[11,1755,1756],{},"It also tends to be smaller than people fear. Many drivers who assume they need commercial cover find that class 1 is the honest description once they see the split between business and personal in front of them.",[15,1758,209],{"id":208},[211,1760,1761,1768],{},[214,1762,1763],{},[217,1764,1767],{"href":1765,"rel":1766},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Ftax-relief-for-employees\u002Fvehicles-you-use-for-work",[221],"HMRC — Claim tax relief for your job expenses: vehicles you use for work",[214,1769,1770],{},[217,1771,1774],{"href":1772,"rel":1773},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.uk\u002Fexpenses-if-youre-self-employed\u002Fvehicles",[221],"HMRC — Expenses if you're self-employed: vehicles",[245,1776],{},[11,1778,1779],{},[250,1780,1781],{},"General information, not insurance or tax advice. Cover classes vary by insurer: check your own certificate and schedule.",{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":1783},[1784,1785,1786,1787,1788,1789,1790],{"id":1528,"depth":255,"text":1529},{"id":1571,"depth":255,"text":1572},{"id":1659,"depth":255,"text":1660},{"id":1669,"depth":255,"text":1670},{"id":1739,"depth":255,"text":1740},{"id":1749,"depth":255,"text":1750},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-02-26","Social, domestic and pleasure plus commuting is not business use. The distinction is small in wording and total in effect.","\u002Fblog\u002Fplaceholder.svg","Placeholder image",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fbusiness-use-car-insurance",{"title":1509,"description":1792},"blog\u002Fbusiness-use-car-insurance",[1800,1801,1802],"insurance","business travel","self-employed","Wjemy5vgryX4WTI2OZmLc4RHa03QVWhMjHWJsNkNFOk",{"id":1805,"title":1806,"author":6,"body":1807,"category":264,"date":2061,"description":2062,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":2063,"navigation":274,"path":2064,"readTime":276,"seo":2065,"stem":2066,"tags":2067,"__hash__":2069},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-speed-costs-in-fuel.md","What 80 costs you compared with 70",{"type":8,"value":1808,"toc":2053},[1809,1812,1816,1826,1829,1832,1836,1839,1861,1864,1867,1871,1874,1993,1996,2000,2003,2029,2033,2036,2039,2041],[11,1810,1811],{},"Most cars are at their most efficient somewhere between 45 and 60 mph. Above that, economy falls away, and it falls away faster the faster you go.",[15,1813,1815],{"id":1814},"why-speed-costs-more-than-it-looks","Why speed costs more than it looks",[11,1817,1818,1819,1822,1823,144],{},"At motorway speeds, most of the engine's work is pushing air out of the way. Aerodynamic drag rises with the ",[22,1820,1821],{},"square"," of speed, and the power needed to overcome it rises with the ",[22,1824,1825],{},"cube",[11,1827,1828],{},"The practical upshot: going from 60 to 70 costs you something. Going from 70 to 80 costs you noticeably more than that, even though it is the same ten miles an hour.",[11,1830,1831],{},"Typical real-world figures put the drop at roughly 10–15% from 70 to 80, on top of a similar drop from 60 to 70. A car returning 50 mpg at a steady 60 might see low 40s at 70 and high 30s at 80.",[15,1833,1835],{"id":1834},"what-it-is-worth-on-a-real-trip","What it is worth on a real trip",[11,1837,1838],{},"Take a 200-mile motorway run in a car doing 45 mpg at 70.",[211,1840,1841,1851],{},[214,1842,1843,1846,1847,1850],{},[22,1844,1845],{},"At 70 mph",": about 20 litres. At 145p, roughly ",[22,1848,1849],{},"£29",". Journey time around 2h 51m.",[214,1852,1853,1856,1857,1860],{},[22,1854,1855],{},"At 80 mph",": maybe 40 mpg, so about 22.7 litres — roughly ",[22,1858,1859],{},"£33",". Journey time around 2h 30m.",[11,1862,1863],{},"So the faster run costs about £4 more and saves about twenty minutes, before considering that the twenty minutes rarely survives contact with roadworks, and that the faster you were going the more the licence costs if it goes wrong.",[11,1865,1866],{},"Whether £4 for twenty minutes is a good trade is a personal question. The point is that it is a knowable one.",[15,1868,1870],{"id":1869},"the-numbers-on-a-200-mile-run","The numbers on a 200-mile run",[11,1872,1873],{},"A car returning 45 mpg at a steady 70, fuel at 145p:",[43,1875,1876,1901],{},[46,1877,1878],{},[49,1879,1880,1883,1886,1889,1892,1895,1898],{},[52,1881,1882],{},"Speed",[52,1884,1885],{},"Approx. MPG",[52,1887,1888],{},"Litres",[52,1890,1891],{},"Fuel cost",[52,1893,1894],{},"Journey time",[52,1896,1897],{},"Time saved",[52,1899,1900],{},"Cost per minute saved",[65,1902,1903,1924,1947,1970],{},[49,1904,1905,1908,1911,1914,1917,1920,1922],{},[70,1906,1907],{},"60 mph",[70,1909,1910],{},"52",[70,1912,1913],{},"17.5",[70,1915,1916],{},"£25.35",[70,1918,1919],{},"3h 20m",[70,1921,507],{},[70,1923,507],{},[49,1925,1926,1929,1932,1935,1938,1941,1944],{},[70,1927,1928],{},"70 mph",[70,1930,1931],{},"45",[70,1933,1934],{},"20.2",[70,1936,1937],{},"£29.30",[70,1939,1940],{},"2h 51m",[70,1942,1943],{},"29 min",[70,1945,1946],{},"14p",[49,1948,1949,1952,1955,1958,1961,1964,1967],{},[70,1950,1951],{},"80 mph",[70,1953,1954],{},"40",[70,1956,1957],{},"22.7",[70,1959,1960],{},"£32.95",[70,1962,1963],{},"2h 30m",[70,1965,1966],{},"50 min",[70,1968,1969],{},"15p",[49,1971,1972,1975,1978,1981,1984,1987,1990],{},[70,1973,1974],{},"85 mph",[70,1976,1977],{},"37",[70,1979,1980],{},"24.6",[70,1982,1983],{},"£35.60",[70,1985,1986],{},"2h 21m",[70,1988,1989],{},"59 min",[70,1991,1992],{},"17p",[11,1994,1995],{},"Two things fall out of this. The cost per minute saved is remarkably flat, so the \"is it worth it\"\nquestion is really about whether the minutes matter to you. And the totals are small enough that\nspeed is rarely where a fuel problem actually lives.",[15,1997,1999],{"id":1998},"the-things-that-cost-more-than-speed","The things that cost more than speed",[11,2001,2002],{},"If you actually want to move the needle, these are bigger levers than the last ten miles an hour:",[211,2004,2005,2011,2017,2023],{},[214,2006,2007,2010],{},[22,2008,2009],{},"A roof box or bars left on all year."," A box can cost 10–20% at motorway speed. Bars alone are not free either. Take them off.",[214,2012,2013,2016],{},[22,2014,2015],{},"Under-inflated tyres."," Rolling resistance rises as pressure falls, and pressure falls in winter whether you check it or not.",[214,2018,2019,2022],{},[22,2020,2021],{},"Carrying weight you do not need."," Less dramatic than the internet claims, but real if the boot is a permanent storeroom.",[214,2024,2025,2028],{},[22,2026,2027],{},"Stop-start town driving."," No motorway speed is as expensive per mile as accelerating away from lights repeatedly.",[15,2030,2032],{"id":2031},"measure-rather-than-guess","Measure rather than guess",[11,2034,2035],{},"All of the above is averages, and your car is not an average. The only way to know what any of it is worth to you is to log fill-ups with the odometer and watch what your MPG actually does across tanks.",[11,2037,2038],{},"Milesheet works out real economy between full tanks and charts it, so a change of habit — or a roof box coming off — shows up as a shape rather than a feeling.",[15,2040,209],{"id":208},[211,2042,2043,2048],{},[214,2044,2045],{},[217,2046,978],{"href":976,"rel":2047},[221],[214,2049,2050],{},[217,2051,985],{"href":983,"rel":2052},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":2054},[2055,2056,2057,2058,2059,2060],{"id":1814,"depth":255,"text":1815},{"id":1834,"depth":255,"text":1835},{"id":1869,"depth":255,"text":1870},{"id":1998,"depth":255,"text":1999},{"id":2031,"depth":255,"text":2032},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-02-05","Drag rises with the square of speed, so the last ten miles an hour are the expensive ones. The arithmetic, and what it is worth on a real journey.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-speed-costs-in-fuel",{"title":1806,"description":2062},"blog\u002Fwhat-speed-costs-in-fuel",[657,658,2068],"motorway","QYTFIzCzKHnvQu1XCKCfsVC8nSdnSHif4b7PN_V7Zy4",{"id":2071,"title":2072,"author":6,"body":2073,"category":264,"date":2356,"description":2357,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":2358,"navigation":274,"path":2359,"readTime":276,"seo":2360,"stem":2361,"tags":2362,"__hash__":2365},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fdepreciation-the-cost-nobody-counts.md","Depreciation: the biggest cost of your car, and the one nobody counts",{"type":8,"value":2074,"toc":2348},[2075,2078,2081,2085,2088,2117,2120,2124,2127,2231,2234,2283,2286,2290,2293,2300,2303,2307,2310,2313,2315,2318,2321,2324,2326],[11,2076,2077],{},"Ask someone what their car costs and they will tell you what they spend on fuel. It is the visible cost, because you hand money over for it in small, memorable amounts.",[11,2079,2080],{},"For most drivers it is not the biggest one.",[15,2082,2084],{"id":2083},"the-shape-of-the-real-bill","The shape of the real bill",[11,2086,2087],{},"Across a typical year, the costs stack up roughly like this:",[211,2089,2090,2096,2102,2107,2112],{},[214,2091,2092,2095],{},[22,2093,2094],{},"Depreciation"," — usually the largest single item on a car under about eight years old",[214,2097,2098,2101],{},[22,2099,2100],{},"Fuel"," — the one you notice",[214,2103,2104],{},[22,2105,2106],{},"Insurance",[214,2108,2109],{},[22,2110,2111],{},"Servicing, tyres, MOT and repairs",[214,2113,2114],{},[22,2115,2116],{},"Road tax",[11,2118,2119],{},"A three-year-old car losing £1,200 a year in value, while burning £1,400 of fuel, is not unusual. On a newer or more expensive car, depreciation can dwarf everything else — a £30,000 car shedding 40% in three years is losing about £4,000 a year, roughly £77 a week, while you sleep.",[15,2121,2123],{"id":2122},"where-the-money-actually-goes","Where the money actually goes",[11,2125,2126],{},"A typical three-year-old family car, 10,000 miles a year:",[43,2128,2129,2144],{},[46,2130,2131],{},[49,2132,2133,2136,2138,2141],{},[52,2134,2135],{},"Cost",[52,2137,762],{},[52,2139,2140],{},"Per mile",[52,2142,2143],{},"Share",[65,2145,2146,2159,2172,2185,2199,2212],{},[49,2147,2148,2150,2153,2156],{},[70,2149,2094],{},[70,2151,2152],{},"£1,200",[70,2154,2155],{},"12.0p",[70,2157,2158],{},"34%",[49,2160,2161,2163,2166,2169],{},[70,2162,2100],{},[70,2164,2165],{},"£1,460",[70,2167,2168],{},"14.6p",[70,2170,2171],{},"41%",[49,2173,2174,2176,2179,2182],{},[70,2175,2106],{},[70,2177,2178],{},"£480",[70,2180,2181],{},"4.8p",[70,2183,2184],{},"13%",[49,2186,2187,2190,2193,2196],{},[70,2188,2189],{},"Servicing, tyres, MOT",[70,2191,2192],{},"£350",[70,2194,2195],{},"3.5p",[70,2197,2198],{},"10%",[49,2200,2201,2203,2206,2209],{},[70,2202,2116],{},[70,2204,2205],{},"£70",[70,2207,2208],{},"0.7p",[70,2210,2211],{},"2%",[49,2213,2214,2219,2224,2229],{},[70,2215,2216],{},[22,2217,2218],{},"Total",[70,2220,2221],{},[22,2222,2223],{},"£3,560",[70,2225,2226],{},[22,2227,2228],{},"35.6p",[70,2230],{},[11,2232,2233],{},"At 45p a mile, the approved rate is comfortably ahead of that. On a newer or more expensive car it\noften is not:",[43,2235,2236,2249],{},[46,2237,2238],{},[49,2239,2240,2243,2246],{},[52,2241,2242],{},"Car",[52,2244,2245],{},"Annual depreciation",[52,2247,2248],{},"Total cost per mile at 10,000 mi",[65,2250,2251,2262,2272],{},[49,2252,2253,2256,2259],{},[70,2254,2255],{},"8-year-old hatchback, bought for £4,000",[70,2257,2258],{},"£400",[70,2260,2261],{},"~26p",[49,2263,2264,2267,2269],{},[70,2265,2266],{},"3-year-old family car",[70,2268,2152],{},[70,2270,2271],{},"~36p",[49,2273,2274,2277,2280],{},[70,2275,2276],{},"New £30,000 car, 40% over three years",[70,2278,2279],{},"£4,000",[70,2281,2282],{},"~64p",[11,2284,2285],{},"The new car loses more in depreciation alone than the older one costs to run entirely.",[15,2287,2289],{"id":2288},"why-this-matters-for-a-mileage-claim","Why this matters for a mileage claim",[11,2291,2292],{},"It explains the 45p.",[11,2294,2295,2296,2299],{},"HMRC's approved mileage rate is not a fuel reimbursement. It is meant to cover the ",[250,2297,2298],{},"whole"," cost of running your own car for business: fuel, insurance, servicing, tyres, road tax and depreciation. That is why it is so much higher than the Advisory Fuel Rates used for company cars, where the company already owns the asset and is absorbing the depreciation itself.",[11,2301,2302],{},"People who think of 45p as \"generous because petrol is only about 12p a mile\" are comparing it against one line of a five-line bill.",[15,2304,2306],{"id":2305},"the-mileage-connection","The mileage connection",[11,2308,2309],{},"Depreciation is partly time and partly miles. Two identical cars, one at 6,000 miles a year and one at 20,000, will not be worth the same in three years.",[11,2311,2312],{},"Which means high-mileage drivers are absorbing a larger cost than the fuel gauge suggests — and it is exactly those drivers for whom recording business mileage properly is worth the most, because the claim is what offsets it.",[15,2314,199],{"id":198},[11,2316,2317],{},"The honest cost per mile is total annual costs divided by annual miles, not pence per litre.",[11,2319,2320],{},"Milesheet gets you part of the way automatically: it works out your real fuel cost per mile from your own fill-ups rather than a brochure figure. The rest — insurance, servicing, the value the car quietly lost — is worth adding up once a year, if only to know whether the 45p you are claiming is generous or barely covering it.",[11,2322,2323],{},"For most people it is generous. For someone running a thirsty vehicle hard, it is not, and that is the case where actual costs deserve a look instead.",[15,2325,209],{"id":208},[211,2327,2328,2333,2338,2343],{},[214,2329,2330],{},[217,2331,229],{"href":227,"rel":2332},[221],[214,2334,2335],{},[217,2336,222],{"href":219,"rel":2337},[221],[214,2339,2340],{},[217,2341,1774],{"href":1772,"rel":2342},[221],[214,2344,2345],{},[217,2346,243],{"href":241,"rel":2347},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":2349},[2350,2351,2352,2353,2354,2355],{"id":2083,"depth":255,"text":2084},{"id":2122,"depth":255,"text":2123},{"id":2288,"depth":255,"text":2289},{"id":2305,"depth":255,"text":2306},{"id":198,"depth":255,"text":199},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-01-29","Fuel is the cost you feel because you pay it at a pump. For most drivers it is not the largest one.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fdepreciation-the-cost-nobody-counts",{"title":2072,"description":2357},"blog\u002Fdepreciation-the-cost-nobody-counts",[282,2363,2364],"depreciation","buying","V2Y-HVH8u_rHSAKzbDMVGyFd3Zhm5ELZkwYJK62OWc4",{"id":2367,"title":2368,"author":6,"body":2369,"category":264,"date":2594,"description":2595,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":2596,"navigation":274,"path":2597,"readTime":276,"seo":2598,"stem":2599,"tags":2600,"__hash__":2602},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Froof-boxes-towing-and-drag.md","Roof boxes, bike racks and towing: what they really cost",{"type":8,"value":2370,"toc":2586},[2371,2374,2378,2381,2419,2423,2426,2506,2509,2513,2516,2526,2529,2533,2536,2562,2566,2569,2572,2574],[11,2372,2373],{},"Cars are shaped the way they are for a reason, and most of that reason is air. Anything bolted to the outside interferes with the shape, and the bill arrives at every fill-up.",[15,2375,2377],{"id":2376},"the-rough-ranking","The rough ranking",[11,2379,2380],{},"From most expensive to least, at motorway speeds:",[351,2382,2383,2389,2395,2401,2407,2413],{},[214,2384,2385,2388],{},[22,2386,2387],{},"Towing a caravan"," — economy can halve. There is no trick here: you are pushing a second box through the air and hauling its weight.",[214,2390,2391,2394],{},[22,2392,2393],{},"A loaded roof box"," — commonly 10–20% at 70 mph, more on a small efficient car where the box is large relative to the vehicle.",[214,2396,2397,2400],{},[22,2398,2399],{},"An empty roof box"," — nearly as bad as a full one. The drag is the shape, not the contents.",[214,2402,2403,2406],{},[22,2404,2405],{},"Bare roof bars"," — often 5–10%. Less than a box, absolutely not nothing.",[214,2408,2409,2412],{},[22,2410,2411],{},"A bike rack on the towbar"," — usually gentler than a roof rack, because it sits in air the car has already disturbed.",[214,2414,2415,2418],{},[22,2416,2417],{},"Windows down at speed"," — measurable, though generally less than the air conditioning it is replacing.",[15,2420,2422],{"id":2421},"what-each-one-costs-per-year","What each one costs, per year",[11,2424,2425],{},"On 10,000 miles at 45 mpg and 145p a litre — about £1,460 of fuel — assuming the item is fitted all\nyear:",[43,2427,2428,2441],{},[46,2429,2430],{},[49,2431,2432,2435,2438],{},[52,2433,2434],{},"Fitted item",[52,2436,2437],{},"Typical penalty",[52,2439,2440],{},"Extra fuel per year",[65,2442,2443,2453,2464,2474,2485,2495],{},[49,2444,2445,2447,2450],{},[70,2446,2405],{},[70,2448,2449],{},"5–10%",[70,2451,2452],{},"£73–£146",[49,2454,2455,2458,2461],{},[70,2456,2457],{},"Empty roof box",[70,2459,2460],{},"10–15%",[70,2462,2463],{},"£146–£219",[49,2465,2466,2469,2471],{},[70,2467,2468],{},"Loaded roof box",[70,2470,442],{},[70,2472,2473],{},"£146–£292",[49,2475,2476,2479,2482],{},[70,2477,2478],{},"Towbar bike rack (2 bikes)",[70,2480,2481],{},"3–7%",[70,2483,2484],{},"£44–£102",[49,2486,2487,2490,2492],{},[70,2488,2489],{},"Roof-mounted bike rack (2 bikes)",[70,2491,431],{},[70,2493,2494],{},"£219–£365",[49,2496,2497,2500,2503],{},[70,2498,2499],{},"Caravan, in tow",[70,2501,2502],{},"30–50% while towing",[70,2504,2505],{},"Depends on towing miles",[11,2507,2508],{},"Roof-mounted bikes are the surprise: two bikes on the roof cost more than the box does, because\nthey are bluff shapes in clean air.",[15,2510,2512],{"id":2511},"the-one-that-actually-costs-people-money","The one that actually costs people money",[11,2514,2515],{},"Bars and boxes left on all year.",[11,2517,2518,2519,2521,2522,2525],{},"The trip they were fitted for lasted a fortnight. The 8% they cost carries on until somebody gets a spanner out. Over a year of ordinary driving, that is a real number: on 10,000 miles at 45 mpg and 145p a litre, roughly ",[22,2520,2165],{}," of fuel, so 8% is around ",[22,2523,2524],{},"£117"," for carrying an empty box you are not using.",[11,2527,2528],{},"Ten minutes with a spanner is one of the better hourly rates available.",[15,2530,2532],{"id":2531},"towing-what-actually-helps","Towing: what actually helps",[11,2534,2535],{},"You cannot make a caravan aerodynamic, but you can avoid making it worse.",[211,2537,2538,2544,2550,2556],{},[214,2539,2540,2543],{},[22,2541,2542],{},"Load it nose-heavy within the noseweight limit"," — stability first, but a stable outfit also needs fewer corrections",[214,2545,2546,2549],{},[22,2547,2548],{},"Keep tyre pressures right on both"," vehicle and trailer",[214,2551,2552,2555],{},[22,2553,2554],{},"Slow down."," Drag rises with the square of speed and you are now presenting a great deal more frontal area to it",[214,2557,2558,2561],{},[22,2559,2560],{},"Take the roof box off the car"," if the caravan is carrying the luggage",[15,2563,2565],{"id":2564},"measure-your-own","Measure your own",[11,2567,2568],{},"Every figure above is a typical range. Your car, your box, your speed and your roads will produce your own number, and the only way to find it is to compare tanks.",[11,2570,2571],{},"Log a few fill-ups with the box on and a few with it off, and Milesheet will show the difference as a change in your real MPG between full tanks. It is a satisfying way to settle an argument, and occasionally a surprising one.",[15,2573,209],{"id":208},[211,2575,2576,2581],{},[214,2577,2578],{},[217,2579,978],{"href":976,"rel":2580},[221],[214,2582,2583],{},[217,2584,985],{"href":983,"rel":2585},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":2587},[2588,2589,2590,2591,2592,2593],{"id":2376,"depth":255,"text":2377},{"id":2421,"depth":255,"text":2422},{"id":2511,"depth":255,"text":2512},{"id":2531,"depth":255,"text":2532},{"id":2564,"depth":255,"text":2565},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2026-01-15","The bolt-ons that quietly ruin your economy, ranked by how much they cost and how easily you can stop paying for them.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Froof-boxes-towing-and-drag",{"title":2368,"description":2595},"blog\u002Froof-boxes-towing-and-drag",[657,658,2601],"towing","yU4e3k174dQwtxqFDm7CE5ZOyyBXcQo6PUVjOPlxEmQ",{"id":2604,"title":2605,"author":6,"body":2606,"category":264,"date":2800,"description":2801,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":2802,"navigation":274,"path":2803,"readTime":276,"seo":2804,"stem":2805,"tags":2806,"__hash__":2808},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fplanning-a-road-trip-costs.md","Planning a road trip so the money does not sour it",{"type":8,"value":2607,"toc":2791},[2608,2611,2615,2621,2627,2633,2637,2640,2646,2653,2659,2663,2666,2739,2742,2746,2760,2764,2767,2770,2774,2777,2779],[11,2609,2610],{},"Shared driving falls out over money more often than over routes, and almost always for the same reason: nobody agreed what the deal was while everyone was still enthusiastic.",[15,2612,2614],{"id":2613},"settle-three-things-before-you-set-off","Settle three things before you set off",[11,2616,2617,2620],{},[22,2618,2619],{},"Who is paying for what."," Fuel only, or fuel plus tolls, parking and the ferry? Say it out loud. \"We'll sort it out\" is how you end up with one person quietly £80 down.",[11,2622,2623,2626],{},[22,2624,2625],{},"Whether the driver pays a share."," Both answers are reasonable. Everyone including the driver splitting equally is fair because everyone is going. Passengers covering the fuel is fair because the driver is providing the car, the wear and the concentration. Pick one.",[11,2628,2629,2632],{},[22,2630,2631],{},"What happens if plans change."," Somebody drops out the night before, somebody gets a train home. Decide whether the split is by head or by seat booked.",[15,2634,2636],{"id":2635},"work-out-the-real-number-not-a-round-one","Work out the real number, not a round one",[11,2638,2639],{},"The honest figure is fuel used, not the amount that went into the tank at the last fill.",[11,2641,2642,2645],{},[22,2643,2644],{},"litres = miles ÷ (mpg ÷ 4.546)",", then multiply by price per litre.",[11,2647,2648,2649,2652],{},"400 miles in a car doing a real 44 mpg is about 41 litres. At 145p, roughly ",[22,2650,2651],{},"£60",". Four people sharing equally is £15 each; three passengers covering it is £20 each.",[11,2654,2655,2656,2658],{},"Use your car's ",[250,2657,1271],{}," economy, not the brochure. The gap is usually 10–20% and it comes out of the driver's pocket.",[15,2660,2662],{"id":2661},"the-full-cost-of-a-weekend-away","The full cost of a weekend away",[11,2664,2665],{},"Four people, 300-mile round trip, 44 mpg, 145p a litre:",[43,2667,2668,2680],{},[46,2669,2670],{},[49,2671,2672,2675,2677],{},[52,2673,2674],{},"Item",[52,2676,2135],{},[52,2678,2679],{},"Notes",[65,2681,2682,2692,2703,2714,2725],{},[49,2683,2684,2686,2689],{},[70,2685,2100],{},[70,2687,2688],{},"£45.00",[70,2690,2691],{},"Using real economy, not the brochure",[49,2693,2694,2697,2700],{},[70,2695,2696],{},"Tolls \u002F crossings",[70,2698,2699],{},"£0–£15",[70,2701,2702],{},"Route dependent",[49,2704,2705,2708,2711],{},[70,2706,2707],{},"Clean air \u002F congestion charges",[70,2709,2710],{},"£0–£27.50",[70,2712,2713],{},"If the route goes through a charging city",[49,2715,2716,2719,2722],{},[70,2717,2718],{},"Parking, 2 nights",[70,2720,2721],{},"£0–£40",[70,2723,2724],{},"Often the largest single item",[49,2726,2727,2732,2737],{},[70,2728,2729],{},[22,2730,2731],{},"Typical total",[70,2733,2734],{},[22,2735,2736],{},"£45–£127",[70,2738],{},[11,2740,2741],{},"Split four ways that is £11 to £32 each — a threefold range depending on things nobody thinks to\nmention when the trip is being planned.",[15,2743,2745],{"id":2744},"add-the-things-people-forget","Add the things people forget",[211,2747,2748,2751,2754,2757],{},[214,2749,2750],{},"Tolls and crossings",[214,2752,2753],{},"Parking at the destination, which on a festival or airport run can rival the fuel",[214,2755,2756],{},"Congestion or clean air charges through cities",[214,2758,2759],{},"The return leg, which somehow always gets left out of the estimate",[15,2761,2763],{"id":2762},"send-a-number-not-a-vibe","Send a number, not a vibe",[11,2765,2766],{},"The thing that makes this awkward is ambiguity, not cost. A message saying \"about twenty quid?\" invites negotiation. A figure with the distance and the fuel price behind it ends the conversation.",[11,2768,2769],{},"Milesheet records the drive, costs it from your own measured economy, splits it between however many were in the car — with or without the driver taking a share — and shares the journey as a PDF with the route and the numbers on it. Nobody else needs the app to read it.",[15,2771,2773],{"id":2772},"and-if-any-of-it-was-work","And if any of it was work",[11,2775,2776],{},"Keep the legs separate. A trip that is three days of holiday and one client meeting is not one journey, and the claimable part is only the part that was business. Recording each leg as it happens means you are classifying rather than reconstructing.",[15,2778,209],{"id":208},[211,2780,2781,2786],{},[214,2782,2783],{},[217,2784,978],{"href":976,"rel":2785},[221],[214,2787,2788],{},[217,2789,229],{"href":227,"rel":2790},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":2792},[2793,2794,2795,2796,2797,2798,2799],{"id":2613,"depth":255,"text":2614},{"id":2635,"depth":255,"text":2636},{"id":2661,"depth":255,"text":2662},{"id":2744,"depth":255,"text":2745},{"id":2762,"depth":255,"text":2763},{"id":2772,"depth":255,"text":2773},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2025-12-11","Agree the rules before you leave, not at a service station at eleven at night.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fplanning-a-road-trip-costs",{"title":2605,"description":2801},"blog\u002Fplanning-a-road-trip-costs",[1505,1504,2807],"friends","iUqedfBMP9j7NN6Ba2tIbLF-A8v2cAullR-JuxM1lcQ",{"id":2810,"title":2811,"author":6,"body":2812,"category":264,"date":2956,"description":2957,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":2958,"navigation":274,"path":2959,"readTime":255,"seo":2960,"stem":2961,"tags":2962,"__hash__":2963},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fdesignated-driver-economics.md","The economics of always being the one who drives",{"type":8,"value":2813,"toc":2948},[2814,2817,2820,2824,2827,2842,2848,2851,2855,2858,2909,2912,2916,2919,2923,2926,2929,2931,2934,2936],[11,2815,2816],{},"Every friendship group has one. The person with the estate car, or the one who does not drink, or the one who simply offered once and has been offering ever since.",[11,2818,2819],{},"It is a nice thing to be. It is also, quietly, an expensive one.",[15,2821,2823],{"id":2822},"the-number","The number",[11,2825,2826],{},"Say a 30-mile round trip out and back, twice a month, in a car doing a real 42 mpg with fuel at 145p.",[211,2828,2829,2835],{},[214,2830,2831,2832],{},"60 miles a month is about 6.5 litres, roughly ",[22,2833,2834],{},"£9.40",[214,2836,2837,2838,2841],{},"Over a year, about ",[22,2839,2840],{},"£113"," in fuel alone",[11,2843,2844,2845,144],{},"That is only the consumable. Add the share of tyres, servicing and depreciation those 720 miles used and the true figure is comfortably double. HMRC reckons the whole cost of running a car at 45p a mile, which would put 720 miles at ",[22,2846,2847],{},"£324",[11,2849,2850],{},"Nobody is suggesting you invoice your friends at HMRC rates. But it is worth knowing that \"just petrol money\" is roughly a third of what the lift actually costs.",[15,2852,2854],{"id":2853},"what-it-adds-up-to","What it adds up to",[11,2856,2857],{},"Two 30-mile round trips a month, in a 42 mpg car at 145p:",[43,2859,2860,2872],{},[46,2861,2862],{},[49,2863,2864,2866,2869],{},[52,2865],{},[52,2867,2868],{},"Fuel only",[52,2870,2871],{},"At HMRC's 45p (full running cost)",[65,2873,2874,2885,2895],{},[49,2875,2876,2879,2882],{},[70,2877,2878],{},"Per trip",[70,2880,2881],{},"£4.70",[70,2883,2884],{},"£13.50",[49,2886,2887,2890,2892],{},[70,2888,2889],{},"Per month",[70,2891,2834],{},[70,2893,2894],{},"£27.00",[49,2896,2897,2901,2905],{},[70,2898,2899],{},[22,2900,762],{},[70,2902,2903],{},[22,2904,2840],{},[70,2906,2907],{},[22,2908,2847],{},[11,2910,2911],{},"Fuel is roughly a third of what the lift actually costs once tyres, servicing and depreciation are\ncounted. Nobody is suggesting you charge friends the full 45p — but \"just petrol money\" is not the\nsame as breaking even, and it is worth knowing which one you are doing.",[15,2913,2915],{"id":2914},"why-nobody-offers","Why nobody offers",[11,2917,2918],{},"Not meanness. It is that the cost is invisible. Passengers see a car that was going there anyway; the driver sees a fuel gauge that moves slightly faster than it used to. Neither has a number, so nothing gets said.",[15,2920,2922],{"id":2921},"making-it-easy-to-settle","Making it easy to settle",[11,2924,2925],{},"The fix is a figure rather than a conversation. Milesheet records the journey, costs it from your car's actual measured economy rather than a guess, and splits it between whoever was in the car — either everyone including you, or the passengers covering the fuel.",[11,2927,2928],{},"Then send the journey as a PDF. It shows the route, the distance and the cost, and it is much easier to respond to than \"do you want to chuck me something for petrol?\".",[15,2930,2773],{"id":2772},[11,2932,2933],{},"Different rules entirely. If you carried colleagues on a genuine business journey, HMRC's passenger payment of 5p a mile per person exists — though for employees it only helps if the employer actually pays it.",[15,2935,209],{"id":208},[211,2937,2938,2943],{},[214,2939,2940],{},[217,2941,229],{"href":227,"rel":2942},[221],[214,2944,2945],{},[217,2946,978],{"href":976,"rel":2947},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":2949},[2950,2951,2952,2953,2954,2955],{"id":2822,"depth":255,"text":2823},{"id":2853,"depth":255,"text":2854},{"id":2914,"depth":255,"text":2915},{"id":2921,"depth":255,"text":2922},{"id":2772,"depth":255,"text":2773},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2025-10-23","If you are the designated driver every time, you are subsidising the evening. What that is actually worth, and how to raise it without being awkward.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fdesignated-driver-economics",{"title":2811,"description":2957},"blog\u002Fdesignated-driver-economics",[1504,2807,282],"WIU0mHW_ltjEryKAhi3_L1LAVeLuUvBcJSFQfLnx3xU",{"id":2965,"title":2966,"author":6,"body":2967,"category":264,"date":3181,"description":3182,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":1793,"imageAlt":1794,"imageCredit":650,"imageCreditUrl":650,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":3183,"navigation":274,"path":3184,"readTime":255,"seo":3185,"stem":3186,"tags":3187,"__hash__":3188},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fsplitting-a-festival-run.md","Four people, one car, a field: splitting a festival run",{"type":8,"value":2968,"toc":3173},[2969,2972,2976,2979,3004,3015,3018,3022,3025,3071,3118,3122,3125,3136,3139,3143,3146,3149,3153,3156,3159,3161],[11,2970,2971],{},"Festivals are the worst case for shared travel costs and the best case for sorting it out in advance. Long distance, a full car, expensive parking, and a return journey undertaken by four people who are in no condition to do arithmetic.",[15,2973,2975],{"id":2974},"count-everything-not-just-the-fuel","Count everything, not just the fuel",[11,2977,2978],{},"The fuel is usually the smaller half. A realistic list:",[211,2980,2981,2986,2992,2998],{},[214,2982,2983,2985],{},[22,2984,2100],{}," both ways",[214,2987,2988,2991],{},[22,2989,2990],{},"Car parking",", which at a large event is frequently £30–50",[214,2993,2994,2997],{},[22,2995,2996],{},"Tolls"," if the route has any",[214,2999,3000,3003],{},[22,3001,3002],{},"Clean air or congestion charges"," on the way through a city",[11,3005,3006,3007,3010,3011,3014],{},"A 250-mile round trip in a car doing a real 40 mpg is about 28 litres — roughly ",[22,3008,3009],{},"£41"," at 145p. Add £40 parking and the trip is ",[22,3012,3013],{},"£81"," before anyone has bought a ticket.",[11,3016,3017],{},"Split four ways that is £20 each. Split three ways with the driver exempt, £27 each. Both are defensible; the gap between them is what causes the argument.",[15,3019,3021],{"id":3020},"a-worked-example","A worked example",[11,3023,3024],{},"Four people, 250-mile round trip, 40 mpg car, 145p a litre, big-event parking:",[43,3026,3027,3035],{},[46,3028,3029],{},[49,3030,3031,3033],{},[52,3032,2674],{},[52,3034,2135],{},[65,3036,3037,3045,3053,3060],{},[49,3038,3039,3042],{},[70,3040,3041],{},"Fuel (28.4 litres)",[70,3043,3044],{},"£41.20",[49,3046,3047,3050],{},[70,3048,3049],{},"Event parking, weekend",[70,3051,3052],{},"£40.00",[49,3054,3055,3058],{},[70,3056,3057],{},"Tolls \u002F charges en route",[70,3059,2699],{},[49,3061,3062,3066],{},[70,3063,3064],{},[22,3065,2218],{},[70,3067,3068],{},[22,3069,3070],{},"£81–£96",[43,3072,3073,3086],{},[46,3074,3075],{},[49,3076,3077,3080,3083],{},[52,3078,3079],{},"Split",[52,3081,3082],{},"Driver",[52,3084,3085],{},"Each passenger",[65,3087,3088,3098,3107],{},[49,3089,3090,3093,3096],{},[70,3091,3092],{},"Four ways, equally",[70,3094,3095],{},"£20.25",[70,3097,3095],{},[49,3099,3100,3103,3105],{},[70,3101,3102],{},"Three passengers cover it",[70,3104,1434],{},[70,3106,2894],{},[49,3108,3109,3112,3115],{},[70,3110,3111],{},"Passengers cover parking, all share fuel",[70,3113,3114],{},"£10.30",[70,3116,3117],{},"£23.63",[15,3119,3121],{"id":3120},"agree-it-in-the-group-chat-before","Agree it in the group chat, before",[11,3123,3124],{},"The three questions, answered while everyone is still keen:",[351,3126,3127,3130,3133],{},[214,3128,3129],{},"Fuel only, or fuel plus parking and tolls?",[214,3131,3132],{},"Does the driver pay a share?",[214,3134,3135],{},"What if someone drops out — split by head on the day, or by seat committed?",[11,3137,3138],{},"Two minutes of typing in advance, versus a stilted conversation in a queue for the exit at midnight.",[15,3140,3142],{"id":3141},"why-the-driver-deserves-the-exemption-more-here","Why the driver deserves the exemption more here",[11,3144,3145],{},"Under normal circumstances \"everyone including the driver splits it\" is the fairer default. A festival run is the case where it is worth reconsidering, because the driver is also the person who is not drinking, is loading and unloading the car, and is driving home tired at the end of it.",[11,3147,3148],{},"Whichever way you go, decide it rather than defaulting to it.",[15,3150,3152],{"id":3151},"have-the-number-ready","Have the number ready",[11,3154,3155],{},"The reason this becomes awkward is that nobody has a figure, so it becomes an estimate, and estimates feel arbitrary in both directions.",[11,3157,3158],{},"Milesheet records the drive, costs it from your car's real economy rather than the brochure figure, lets you add the parking and tolls onto the journey, and splits the total between however many were in the car. Then send the journey as a PDF — route, distance, cost, split — which settles it without a conversation.",[15,3160,209],{"id":208},[211,3162,3163,3168],{},[214,3164,3165],{},[217,3166,978],{"href":976,"rel":3167},[221],[214,3169,3170],{},[217,3171,985],{"href":983,"rel":3172},[221],{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":3174},[3175,3176,3177,3178,3179,3180],{"id":2974,"depth":255,"text":2975},{"id":3020,"depth":255,"text":3021},{"id":3120,"depth":255,"text":3121},{"id":3141,"depth":255,"text":3142},{"id":3151,"depth":255,"text":3152},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},"2025-09-11","The trip where costs are highest, plans change most, and nobody has any signal to work anything out.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fsplitting-a-festival-run",{"title":2966,"description":3182},"blog\u002Fsplitting-a-festival-run",[1504,2807,1505],"aaaPDw9wFFSFDb-zxUpKb1LkRQH4kRADQSRqjF7NKbI",{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":3190,"category":264,"date":265,"description":266,"draft":267,"extension":268,"image":269,"imageAlt":270,"imageCredit":271,"imageCreditUrl":272,"imageIsScreenshot":267,"meta":3355,"navigation":274,"path":275,"readTime":276,"seo":3356,"stem":278,"tags":3357,"__hash__":283},{"type":8,"value":3191,"toc":3346},[3192,3194,3196,3200,3204,3206,3208,3210,3276,3280,3284,3286,3288,3290,3292,3294,3298,3302,3304,3306,3308,3310,3312,3314,3316,3318,3340,3342],[11,3193,13],{},[15,3195,18],{"id":17},[11,3197,3198,25],{},[22,3199,24],{},[11,3201,3202,31],{},[22,3203,30],{},[11,3205,34],{},[15,3207,38],{"id":37},[11,3209,41],{},[43,3211,3212,3224],{},[46,3213,3214],{},[49,3215,3216,3218,3220,3222],{},[52,3217,54],{},[52,3219,57],{},[52,3221,60],{},[52,3223,63],{},[65,3225,3226,3236,3246,3256,3266],{},[49,3227,3228,3230,3232,3234],{},[70,3229,72],{},[70,3231,75],{},[70,3233,78],{},[70,3235,81],{},[49,3237,3238,3240,3242,3244],{},[70,3239,86],{},[70,3241,89],{},[70,3243,92],{},[70,3245,95],{},[49,3247,3248,3250,3252,3254],{},[70,3249,100],{},[70,3251,103],{},[70,3253,106],{},[70,3255,109],{},[49,3257,3258,3260,3262,3264],{},[70,3259,114],{},[70,3261,117],{},[70,3263,120],{},[70,3265,123],{},[49,3267,3268,3270,3272,3274],{},[70,3269,128],{},[70,3271,131],{},[70,3273,134],{},[70,3275,137],{},[11,3277,140,3278,144],{},[22,3279,143],{},[11,3281,147,3282,151],{},[22,3283,150],{},[15,3285,155],{"id":154},[11,3287,158],{},[11,3289,161],{},[11,3291,164],{},[15,3293,168],{"id":167},[11,3295,171,3296,175],{},[22,3297,174],{},[11,3299,178,3300,182],{},[22,3301,181],{},[11,3303,185],{},[15,3305,189],{"id":188},[11,3307,192],{},[11,3309,195],{},[15,3311,199],{"id":198},[11,3313,202],{},[11,3315,205],{},[15,3317,209],{"id":208},[211,3319,3320,3325,3330,3335],{},[214,3321,3322],{},[217,3323,222],{"href":219,"rel":3324},[221],[214,3326,3327],{},[217,3328,229],{"href":227,"rel":3329},[221],[214,3331,3332],{},[217,3333,236],{"href":234,"rel":3334},[221],[214,3336,3337],{},[217,3338,243],{"href":241,"rel":3339},[221],[245,3341],{},[11,3343,3344],{},[250,3345,252],{},{"title":254,"searchDepth":255,"depth":255,"links":3347},[3348,3349,3350,3351,3352,3353,3354],{"id":17,"depth":255,"text":18},{"id":37,"depth":255,"text":38},{"id":154,"depth":255,"text":155},{"id":167,"depth":255,"text":168},{"id":188,"depth":255,"text":189},{"id":198,"depth":255,"text":199},{"id":208,"depth":255,"text":209},{},{"title":5,"description":266},[280,281,282],1787360705527]