Fuel Costs & Calculations
Cost Per Mile
How much does fuel cost per mile?
CheckFuelPrices Editorial
Expert Written • 4 industry sources
For a typical UK petrol car achieving around 40 MPG, fuel currently costs approximately 12–14p per mile based on average pump prices. The exact figure depends on two things: what you pay per litre at the pump and your car's real-world fuel economy.
Current UK Fuel Cost Per Mile Estimates
Average petrol car (40 MPG):
At around 135p per litre, a 40 MPG petrol car costs roughly 13.5p per mile to run on fuel alone.
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Average diesel car (50 MPG):
Diesel cars typically return better economy; at around 142p per litre, a 50 MPG diesel costs approximately 12.6p per mile.
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Efficient small petrol car (55 MPG):
A fuel-efficient supermini like a Volkswagen Polo or Toyota Yaris can bring petrol costs down to around 9–10p per mile.
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Large SUV or performance car (25 MPG):
A thirsty 25 MPG vehicle on petrol costs around 21–22p per mile, making your choice of pump price far more impactful.
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How to Calculate Your Own Cost Per Mile
The formula:
Divide the fuel price in pence per litre by 4.546 (litres per gallon) to get the pence per gallon, then divide by your MPG. That gives you pence per mile.
Example calculation:
At 135p per litre: 135 ÷ 4.546 = 614p per gallon ÷ 40 MPG = 15.3p per mile. Use your actual on-board MPG readout for the most accurate result.
Real-world vs official MPG:
Official manufacturer MPG figures are tested under lab conditions and are typically 20–30% higher than real-world performance. Always use your actual trip computer data.
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How Pump Price Affects Your Cost Per Mile
Price variation across stations:
Pump prices vary by as much as 10–15p per litre between the cheapest supermarket station and a motorway forecourt in the same region.
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Impact on a 40 MPG car:
A 10p per litre saving cuts your cost per mile by around 1p — worth roughly £10 per 1,000 miles driven.
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Supermarkets consistently cheapest:
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons regularly undercut branded forecourts. Use CheckFuelPrices to find the cheapest station near you before you fill up.
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Find the Cheapest Fuel to Lower Your Cost Per Mile
Live prices updated every 30 minutes:
CheckFuelPrices pulls CMA government open data to show real-time prices at 4,000+ stations — search by postcode, town, or GPS.
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Even small savings add up:
If you drive 10,000 miles a year at 40 MPG, saving 5p per litre saves you around £56 annually — just by choosing the right station.
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Sources
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