Is petrol really this expensive? (I don't drive but it seems a lot)

[MidnightSun77]

I offered to pay my friend's petrol costs when she visits. It's approx 150miles each way, she drives a very small old car (can't remember the model but it's not one that would use a lot of petrol).

She says her petrol will cost £60. Is this reasonable for 300 miles?

I don't mind paying, but it's more than I expected especially as I'll also be paying for all meals out, drinks, taxi fares, day-trips etc.

Depending on where she lives there could be quite a difference in petrol costs, if she is in a rural area then it could be a lot more. £60 doesn't sound far off to me if it is an older car.

I'm planning a trip 162 miles away and had calculated the round trip to be a tad over £50.

That AA calculator londonrach linked to makes it £49.18, and mine is a new (small) car.

I would think £60 was about right.

That's about what it would cost me to drive that. Am in an 8 year old 7 seater renowned for fuel inefficiency but I would imagine lots of older cars would be similar so I don't think ur friend is BU.

Sounds about reasonable.

It's much much cheaper for my fuel visiting a friend 200 miles away rather than getting the train

I hope she isn't a MNer. It would be awful to accept a very kind offer at a low point in your life and then see your honesty debated online like this.

Based on the older cars that I have had it is entirely credible. I now deliberately only buy Diesel engines which give a decent mpg.

Maggie, that's a really good point.

Sounds not too far off to me. I'd certainly budget around there for similar trips in my old car which was old and small!

Sounds reasonable.

she's quite a cautious driver so unlikely to be driving fast.

Speed isn't the biggest issue with fuel efficiency, generally how you drive is. I was taught to drive economically, and it's more to do with planning far ahead so you have a smooth speed rather than stop start stop start. I often have journeys where I barely have to touch my brake, because I learnt to plan ahead and just ease off the gas instead, whereas DH will travel up to, e.g. a red traffic light at normal speed then brake.

My old small car does about 80 miles for a tenner, so for 300 miles it'd be nearer £40, but as I say I drive economically and have a small engine, and fill up at cheap petrol stations - and that's based on an almost-entirely-motorway trip - it'd be more otherwise, especially if trouble on the motorway meant stop start traffic.

My last car was an old Micra. It was an automatic which does burn more fuel. I was getting less than 30mpg and I did a fair bit of motorway driving. If it's an auto, it's not just the speed but the way you drive that alters fuel consumption. I think I push my foot down quite hard which is why I use so much, even in a 6 month old car.

I think it's not far off, and if she's skint it's a good will gesture not to question.

would be sixty in my old smallish car op. in fact it would probably be nearer £65, even for a mainly motorways type journey.

Thought I'd chip in as some pp's seem to assume you are being ripped off

If you were claiming moderate expenses, you'd be paying 40p mile. Double what she is asking.

Tell her to fill up a tank before she sets off, pay what the receipt says, and then take her to a petrol station and pay for a full tank to get back.

How much would a train be?

For an old car it is plausible as their fuel efficiency does decline quite a lot, and you get nothing like the advertised miles per gallon.

If it is too much, then why not tell her you can only afford x amount, and see what she says.

Old car will use more fuel than a big newer car. 20p a mile for fuel sounds fair. Business mileage rate is 40p a mile but that is meant to include all wear and tear etc not just fuel.

Filling up at motorway service stations is 10% higher than supermarkets, as are garages in rural areas. If it includes city/stop start travel and traffic jams it could easily drop the mpg.

Also if it's hot and she has the air con on this will burn ££.

Maybe she's basing it on her usual about town mileage. I get a shocking low mpg when I drive for mainly short journeys

It sounds a lot. Perhaps she has based it on her current use. If she only usually does short journeys/town driving she will be used to getting a lower mileage per gallon than she would on a long journey. That always surprises me when we do long journeys.

You are clearly looking forward to her visit. Given that you're prepared to pay for everything else (due to her new circs) is it worth asking her for proof of fuel consumption?

For an old car, which is likely to be less fuel efficient than a modern one, 20p per mile isn't outrageous. It would seem petty to query it - you know you're doing her a big favour, and if she's feeling cash struck then I'm not sure what good would come of disputing it. It's not like it's a business deal, arrangements between friends are a bit more flexible.

She is likely basing it on average mileage eg based on my car usage I expect 300 miles = 1 tank of fuel. 1 tank = approx £60. Sounds about right to me for an old car.

Agree with her an amount per mile. Set the mileometer thing on the car, and then pay her accordingly! This gets you around it without having to have a huge scene in which you question her motives. She may just be one of those people who doesn't really know how far her car goes on a tank.

I think sounds about right tbh.