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Nobody likes wasting money and two of the biggest expenses we all try to cut back on are food shopping and filling up the car. While prices at the pump tend to rise and fall depending on politics, global supply and taxes, there’s one simple way to save a few euros: knowing when to fill up.

 

According to the latest annual study by the OCU (Spain’s Consumers’ Organisation), which looked at prices across more than 12,000 petrol stations, there’s a clear pattern throughout the week and one day in particular to avoid.

 

 

The OCU found that weekends are the worst time to refuel. Prices tend to rise towards Friday and stay high throughout Saturday and Sunday, and even in the days before a bank holiday.

 

The reason is quite simple: demand goes up when people get ready for road trips or weekends away, so filling stations quietly increase prices.

 

If you want to pay less, the best day to fill up is usually Monday, when prices drop again after the weekend rush. And if you’re looking for the cheapest petrol stations overall, the OCU found that BonÀrea, GM Oil, Ballenoil, Plenergy and Petroprix often have some of the most competitive prices in Spain.

 

The time of day matters too, according to the experts, who claim that the best time to refuel is before 10am. Cooler morning temperatures mean the fuel is denser and less prone to evaporation, so you actually get slightly more for your money.

 

Later in the day, especially in summer, the heat can make fuel expand and evaporate more quickly, which isn’t ideal when every euro counts.

 

Other tips from the experts for saving money on fuel

 

• Plan your trip: use route planners to shave off valuable kilometres and map out the cheaper filling stations along the way. Last year, Google Maps launched a new function which allows drivers to choose the most economical route in nearly 40 European countries, including Spain, to cut down on fuel costs.
• Correct tyre pressure: “Driving using tires with less than the correct pressure causes consumption to increase by 2% in urban areas and 4% in interurban areas,” according to RACE.
• Watch your speed: Continuously accelerating, braking and changing gears uses far more fuel so try to keep your speed uniform to save gas.
• Turn off the engine: If you’re stopped for more than a couple of minutes the experts advise you to turn off the engine rather than letting the car idle.

 

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