Is your driving style secretly increasing your fuel bill?
Fleet fuel bill guide by, Philip Storm, Fleetmaxx Solutions
Hi, Philip here again from Fleetmaxx Solutions.
Fuel prices remain a major concern for drivers and businesses across the United Kingdom. Although we cannot control the price displayed at the pump, we can influence how quickly the fuel in our tanks is used.
GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging drivers to adopt a smoother, more considered driving style. It is a simple change that could reduce fuel costs, lower vehicle wear and help make our roads safer.
For businesses operating several vehicles, even modest improvements in fuel economy can quickly add up. Every unnecessary acceleration, harsh braking event or minute spent idling uses fuel that your business has already paid for.
How much could smoother driving cut your fuel bill?
According to GEM, a motorist covering 8,000 miles a year in a petrol car returning 40 miles per gallon could save approximately £145 annually by reducing fuel consumption by 10 per cent.
A 15 per cent reduction could increase that saving to more than £200 a year, based on current pump prices.
That might not sound like a fortune for one driver, but multiply it across a fleet of cars, vans or heavy goods vehicles and the potential saving becomes much harder to ignore.
Smoother driving can cut your fuel bill and make roads safer
There is also an important safety benefit.
Smooth acceleration, early observation and gentle braking give drivers more time and space to respond to developing hazards. The same habits that waste fuel, such as accelerating unnecessarily, following too closely and braking harshly, can also increase collision risk.
In 2025, nearly 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads, showing that progress in road safety has stalled.
Those figures provide a sobering reminder that the choices we make behind the wheel really do matter.
Simple ways to reduce fuel consumption
Drivers can make a difference by:
- Accelerating smoothly and progressively
- Looking further ahead and anticipating changing road conditions
- Maintaining a safe following distance
- Braking gently and in good time
- Using the highest suitable gear without making the engine labour
- Avoiding unnecessary idling
- Keeping tyres correctly inflated
- Using smooth, controlled steering
These are small changes, but they can reduce the amount of fuel being wasted while making journeys safer and more comfortable.
Use technology to understand your fleet
Fleetmaxx Solutions can also help businesses gain greater control over their fuel expenditure.
The Shell Maxx Fuel Card offers a straightforward way to manage fuel purchases, with fixed weekly pricing across an extensive network. It can help businesses monitor expenditure, simplify administration and identify opportunities to reduce fuel costs.
Our Fleetloc8 vehicle tracking system helps fleet managers understand how their vehicles are being driven and used. It can highlight potentially expensive habits such as excessive idling, harsh acceleration, unnecessary mileage and heavy braking.
However, technology works best when drivers understand how their behaviour affects fuel consumption. The purpose is to give businesses and drivers the information they need to improve efficiency, reduce costs and make safer decisions on the road.
Small savings can make a big difference to your fuel bill
A saving of £145 or £200 might not sound huge for one vehicle, but it becomes much more significant when multiplied across an entire fleet.
For example, if 10 drivers each saved £200 a year, that would put £2,000 back into the business. Across 50 vehicles, the potential saving could reach £10,000.
The actual results will depend on the vehicles, annual mileage, fuel prices and existing driving standards. However, the principle remains the same: lots of small improvements can make a substantial difference.
Smoother driving can also reduce unnecessary strain on brakes, tyres and other vehicle components. This could help lower maintenance costs and keep vehicles on the road for longer.
Make every mile count
Beating the pain at the pump is not only about finding a competitive fuel price. It is also about making the most of every litre your business buys.
By combining the Shell Maxx Fuel Card, Fleetloc8 vehicle tracking and a smoother driving style, your business can take greater control of fuel expenditure while encouraging safer and more efficient journeys.
A few simple changes behind the wheel could cut your fuel bill, reduce vehicle wear and give drivers more time to react safely.
That is good for your drivers, good for your business and good for everyone sharing the road.
Savings are estimates based on a driver covering 8,000 miles annually in a petrol vehicle returning 40 miles per gallon. Actual savings will depend on fuel prices, vehicle type, journey conditions and driving style.
