April 11, 2018

Where Is My Nearest Petrol Station? Research Before Travelling

With recent changes in the fuel policies for almost all car rental companies, you will no doubt find yourself with what’s known as a Full-To-Full fuel policy next time you rent a car. Gone are the days of having to pay for a tank of fuel regardless of how many miles you may or may not be driving.

what Is A Full To Full Fuel Policy?

Full To Full means exactly what it says, when you collect the rental vehicle it will have a full tank of fuel. The rental company will require a deposit for the amount of this fuel which is generally between £60-£100 depending on the size of the vehicles fuel tank.

You can then drive away safe in the knowledge that you will not have to try and find the closest petrol station and fill up before you continue your journey, this is particularly helpful when arriving on a late flight or with your family in tow, all who just want to get to your destination and start their holiday.

The requirement on you is to return the vehicle at the end of your rental full of fuel, do this and your deposit will be returned in full. If you do not return it with a full tank, they will charge you for the missing fuel and a refuelling charge (admin charge). The simplest way of ensuring you can return the vehicle full, is to do a little research.

where Is My Nearest Petrol Station?

A simple online search ‘nearest fuel station’ or ‘petrol stations near Heathrow‘ for example, will provide you with a list.

In my experience, there is usually a petrol station within a couple of miles of any airport. Obviously you will need to make sure it’s open at the time you intend to return your rental car but they tend to be open 24hrs, especially in built up areas close to the airport.

Researching petrol stations near to your location may also help, however you will need to consider the distance from your nearest fuel station back to the airport. If that journey is more than just a few miles then by the time you get back to the rental office, the tank will no longer be full.

what Are The Cost Implications?

When researching the nearest petrol station, the information that it won’t give you is the cost of the fuel. For those like me who are price conscious then this is an important part of the research. Services close to airports tend to cost more per litre than the inner city filling stations. There are websites like confused.com that will give you a good idea of the cost per litre at various outlets, it’s surprising how much it can vary. But, it’s down to you to weigh up the benefits of saving at the pump and driving further to return the car and potentially being charged by the supplier, or filling up close to the airport at a higher cost but ensuring there will be no charges for not having a full tank.

i Filled The Car Up But It’s Not Showing Full

The majority of suppliers know that it is not always possible to pull into the airport with a brimming fuel tank. This can work both ways, sometimes you will fill up, drive 50 miles to return the car and it still shows full. Other times, you may fill up a mile away from the airport and the fuel gauge isn’t playing ball that day. A general rule of thumb is, fill the car up within 10 miles (15km) of their location and show them a receipt for this and all will be well.

If you have any questions regarding fuel policies or charges involved then please get in touch. Our reservations team is on hand to help with anything car hire related. We may even be able to help find the Nearest Petrol Station for you. Contact us by phone on 0113 88 00 748, email us on [email protected] or chat with us online.