When do you fill up your car?

[kakeya97]

Total wrong timing for this post I know. Putting the whole panic buying fuel thing aside. Before all this did you fill up when low or like to keep topped? The whole fuel thing has sparked this conversation with Dp though.

I have major anxiety about my diesel level getting too low. If it starts getting under half a tank I'll fill up, likely before it hits half a tank though. I can't relax until it's done. I just like the comfort on having it. I live rurally. Closest station is 8 miles away and shuts at 6pm!! Longer opening and 24 hours stations are much further afield. There aren't many stations on my most widely used routes so tend to have to make a special journey for it. I like to be prepared at all times. I have two disabled children and I like to fill up so I don't have to stop with them to get it.

Dp will literally run his work vehicle on fumes for a few days before topping up - even though he works right by a station - he often takes my (family) car to work to fill up if I'm stuck too. Most of my friends are the same - they let it get really low first.

I'm all good for now and I can assure you I am not panic buying fuel. I put some in middle of last week before it all kicked off and still got 3/4 of a tank full which should last a while. I think it will really bother me when it gets under a 1/4 a tank but it rarely gets that low.

Do you let it get right down or do you keep on top of it?

Genuinely curious that's all 😅

When the light comes on

Generally drive it until it gets low and then put in a full tank.

Also when the light comes on. I get at least 25 miles after that point and there is a petrol station nearer than that.

Normally when it gets below 1/4 tank. We have lots of local petrol stations though normally fill up at Tesco when doing food shopping.

Probably 2 days after the light comes on. I live on the edge....

Around 1/4 tank

Somewhere between a quarter and red, normally before the light

I run it down till it's in the red, then I'll fill it up to a full tank.

1/4

When the light comes on and even then not immediately unless we're going far. We don't live rurally though and are rarely far from a petrol station.

20/25 miles. Light comes on at 20 miles anyway.

If going on a longer journey will fill up before we leave so not worrying about getting stuck with no fuel

Otherwise tend to fill up when get to quarter of a tank or the light comes on - luckily that was last week before all this erupted. Have really been trying to stay more local/use public transport recently anyway as am trying to do what we can to reduce our impact on the environment.

Oh god. Maybe I am in the minority. My nearest long opening petrol station is 12 miles away so that's my excuse. the one near me is poop and shuts early, often runs out due to the amount of people who use it even before this madness 😅

When the light comes on, then fill it all the way up.

My light comes on when there's 20 miles left in the tank. I usually start to think about filling it up then. It's been down to zero more times than I dare admit... I hate filling up, my car only takes £40 to fill from vapours, there's no way I'm in the half a tank brigade.

My mum has 'topped up' over the weekend, she does 50 miles a week, max, it cost her less than a fiver

I run mine on fumes…..so does DP to be honest, but one of the reasons for this is because we are both constantly in and out of different vehicles so I’m reluctant to fill up because I could be driving something different the next day and I can’t afford to keep doing that!

My mum is like you OP, her tank is always full, she NEEDS fuel in her eyes before it’s half way. I think she’s mad 🤣

Just thinking of all these poor kids who have to walk a few hundred yards to school because their mums have run out of petrol. Boris should be ashamed.

When the light comes on, or before a longish drive if it’s on the low side for the journey.

It does go down very quickly once the light it on, particularly for short and slow journeys.

After yesterday’s chaos I have a new resolution to top it up as soon as practical when it hits 1/4 full!

Playing fuel roulette is one of my favourite games! It’s drives my husband crazy! I leave it until the light goes on and usually until the miles counter goes off! I then put enough in for the week and play the same game the following weekend! (DH gets paid weekly and we use his wage for fuel and shopping).

Generally when the light comes on which coincides with payday normally. I had to fill up Saturday and still feel bad as I was one of 'them' but I literally 2 days into the light being on and had about 10 miles left and need the car! I felt guilty even though my car was empty!

I always have the best of intentions of filling up when it gets down to between a quarter full and the red light.. it’s always when it’s on the red light in reality. I need to stop it now tho, as we live rurally, I’m due our first baby in just over a month and we live an hour and a half from the hospital, so last thing we’d need would be to have no bloody fuel in the ute 🤦🏼‍♀️

1/4 tank here too but lately more like half tank...I'm very pregnant and prone to heightened anxiety I suppose! We live rurally too but I do have a station 2 miles away.

We only have one car...thankfully no queues at all here. If it wasn't for MN I'd think the frenzy was all made up for some interesting news.

Never go below a quarter

When it gets to half. And then, if there's an episode like now, and I haven't filled up yet, I don't need to sit in a queue or 'panic buy' because I can manage on my half tank for a week. I don't see the logic of letting it get very low.

Once it gets to 1/4 full I fill it up to full.