One in ten drivers admit they “save money” by skipping routine maintenance

Car owners kid themselves with false economy to save money on average monthly running costs, research suggests

One in ten drivers admit they “save money” by skipping routine maintenance
Some drivers are skipping routine servicing and maintenance in an attempt to save money. Image: Bigstock.

The average UK motorist is spending £162 per month on running their car, or almost £2,000 per year, but drivers are trying to cut costs in ways which may be more expensive in the long run.

Nearly one in ten (8 per cent) car owners say they have spent nothing on routine maintenance, saving money by not getting their car serviced at all.

Almost six million drivers made their most recent new or used car purchase on finance, with the average monthly payment being £226.12 for the vehicle alone.

This increases by over 70 per cent once the monthly running costs are added in.

The availability of finance options has enabled many motorists to opt for more expensive cars than they otherwise would buy, with those using finance driving cars costing nearly half as much again as those buying them outright.

The average price paid upfront is £10,511, while those buying on finance opted for cars with an average value of £15,438, a difference of 47 per cent.

The research, conducted by Kwik Fit, shows keeping the car safe and well maintained are significant factors in the overall running costs.

Maintenance and servicing

In the last 12 months, car owners have spent an average £191.53 on maintenance and servicing, and an additional £159.09 on unexpected repairs or breakdowns.

Fuel is the largest individual running cost, with the average driver spending £67.63 per month (£812.56 per year), a figure that is set to increase further with this month’s record price rises.

Keeping their car looking good adds almost £50 a year (£4.15 per month) in cleaning costs although almost a third (30 per cent) of drivers cut this cost out by cleaning their car themselves using only household cleaners while a further 8 per cent of owners confess to never cleaning their car at all.

Cost cutting

There are costs some motorists are paying which could definitely be avoided – eight per cent of drivers have paid an average of £87 in parking fines, six per cent of drivers an average of £95 for speeding offences, and five per cent of drivers an average £116 for other driving violations during the course of the year.

Around 26,000 drivers say that they have paid more than £1,000 in parking fines or penalty charge notices over the last twelve months.

Have your say!

0 0

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.