Motoring MoneySaving

Before you fill up, use a free online tool like PetrolPrices to find the cheapest petrol and diesel near you. Simply enter a postcode, town or city, how far you're willing to travel and the type of fuel you want, and it'll list the cheapest forecourts in the area in seconds.

As well as prices reported directly by retailers and users, it uses data from the Government's 'Fuel Finder' service, which requires forecourts to update prices in near real time. This service isn't designed for motorists to use directly, but aims to make third-party apps and websites more accurate.

For more ways to save on fuel, motor over to our Cheap petrol & diesel guide.

Photocard licences were introduced in 1998, and need to be renewed every 10 years. According to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data obtained by Co-op Insurance, almost 2.7 million photocards are due to expire this year – so check yours now.

Paper tax discs were scrapped in 2014. But while you no longer need to display one, you DO still have to tax your vehicle. If you don't, you could face a fine of £1,000 or five times the amount of tax owed, whichever is more.

What's more, your car could be clamped, in which case you'll be charged a £100 release fee, or even impounded – then you'll be charged a £200 release fee, plus £21 a day until you pay it.

The number of untaxed vehicles on the road has increased since paper discs were abolished, with Department for Transport (DfT) figures from 2023, the most recent available, showing there to be 498,000 (down from from 719,000 in 2019, though due to a change in methodology the DfT says the latest data shouldn't be compared to that of previous years). This is despite the police deploying cameras with number plate recognition technology to spot those untaxed.

Finding affordable young drivers' car insurance can be a nightmare – the average annual premium for a driver aged 17 to 20 is now over £1,800 a year, according to price comparison website Confused.com. But there are some ways to save.

For step-by-step tips to slice off every penny you can, see our Young driver insurance guide. But here are a couple of key points:

• Consider black box insurance. Black box policies, also known as 'telematics', are worth checking out. With these, a black box or smart box device is fitted to your car and monitors your speed, acceleration, braking, when you drive and more. If the insurer thinks you're a safe driver, it may offer you a lower premium at renewal, which can be particularly valuable for young drivers – see Black box insurance.

• Learner driver insurance can work out cheaper. Learners are often added to a family member's or friend's car insurance as an additional driver so they can practise. This can up the cost, and put the principal driver's no-claims bonus at risk. Consider getting a specific policy just for the provisional driver instead – see Learner driver insurance.

It's possible to drive the same distance in the same time using much less fuel – without cutting your top speed. In the process, you could cut your petrol or diesel costs.

Here are a few pointers to get you started. See our drive more efficiently tips for more:

• Accelerate gradually without over-revving. Press harder on the pedal and more fuel flows. Get to the same speed using less power. As a very rough rule, stay under 3,000 revs.

• Drive in the correct gear. Always drive in the highest gear possible without labouring the engine.

• Slow naturally. Rather than brake frequently, let your car slow naturally where you can and use its stored momentum.

• Think about road position. To do all this takes road awareness. The more alert you are, the better you can plan ahead and move gradually.

A third of cars, vans and small passenger vehicles fail their MOT test first time, and many for simple, avoidable reasons. Often finding these problems is a question of common sense, not mechanical know-how.

Some fails you can fix yourself, others will need a professional. Either way, sorting it pre-test is usually cheaper. Here are the main points to check according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). For more, see our DIY MOT checks.

• Are all lights fully working? Over a quarter fail MOTs due to a lights, reflectors and indicators. Have someone sit in the car when it's dark while you walk around checking every light: front, rear, headlights, dipped headlights, hazards and indicators. If you need a new bulb, buy one for a few quid and replace it.

• Check suspension. While a full suspension check's difficult, to see if the shock absorbers have gone, quickly apply your weight to each corner of the car, then release. It should quickly settle back. If not, it's possibly a shock problem.

• Is there tension on the handbrake? This is tricky to fix unless you know what you're doing, so you'll likely need a mechanic. If your brakes feel loose and unresponsive, or the handbrake slides up without resistance and can't be put at a set level, it's likely there's a problem.

Getting an unfair parking ticket from a public body, such as a council or the police, is a sting in the tailpipe.

But if you've got a good case, it's worth fighting it. In England (excluding London) and Wales in 2025/26, the independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal allowed around a third of the 21,500 appeals it determined.

If you decide to challenge your ticket, first you'll need to do so with the body that issued it. If that fails, then you can appeal to the relevant independent adjudicator. For step-by-step help, see our Fight unfair public parking tickets guide.

If your car's been clamped or towed by a council or the police, and you think it's been done unfairly, you can also appeal – see our Fight unfair clamping guide.

There are at least one million potholes across the UK, the RAC has estimated. If your car's been damaged by one, you may be able to claim back the cost of your repairs. If you're thinking about claiming, there are a few things you need to know.

Firstly, it's not an easy process and can take a while. When you start you must prove it was the pothole wot dunnit, as just saying your car was damaged isn't enough – you'll need to get a mechanic to vouch for this as well as gather evidence, such as measuring and taking photos of the pothole.

Secondly, you can only claim if the authority responsible for maintaining the road didn't carry out the checks or repairs that it should have. Get step-by-step help including free template letters in our Pothole claims guide.

It's a common misconception that cars don't need insurance when not driven. But legally, cars must be insured unless they've been declared off-the-road with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) or they've been untaxed and without a SORN since before 31 January 1998.

The Continuous Insurance Enforcement scheme came into effect in June 2011, stating all cars must be insured even if no one drives them. The rules are designed to clamp down on uninsured drivers. Break 'em and there's a fine followed by clamping, seizure or having the car destroyed (though warning letters come first).

Even if your policy isn't up yet, check now to see if you can slash costs and lock in today's prices.

Comparison sites zip your details to a host of insurers' and brokers' websites, scraping their data to report back the cheapest. We've full help on getting quotes from multiple comparison sites in our Cheap car insurance guide, or to get quotes at speed, try the new MSE Compare+ Car Insurance tool.

Next, check the policy details of your top quote, so you know exactly what you are and aren't covered for if you need to make a claim, and then see if cashback comparison sites can do better. The record is 96p for a year's cover via a cashback site – let us know if you beat it.

Breakdowns are more common in winter, so it's worth being prepared.

While our Cheap breakdown cover guide has full info on the cheapest policies, preventing a breakdown in the first place is better than having to wait to be rescued.

Here are six tips to prep your car before any cold weather sets in...

• Buy antifreeze and a screen-scraper. Antifreeze stops your car's coolant from freezing so it can keep your car's engine working, while a screen-scraper is useful for clearing your windscreen (a de-icer will also make the job quicker).

• Make sure your lights are working. Scan your lights and check them regularly to make sure they're working properly so you can be seen in bad weather.

• Check your tyres. The AA recommends a tyre tread of at least 3mm for winter driving – more info on how to check this at TyreSafe.

• Stop doors sticking with Vaseline. A thin coat of furniture polish or Vaseline on rubber door seals should stop them sticking.

• Make sure your car is stocked up with essentials. For example, a torch and spare batteries, first aid kit, warm blanket, mobile phone charger, shovel, road atlas and jump start cables.

• Check your battery. A faulty battery is one of the most common causes of cars breaking down in winter. It needs to be regularly checked and might need charging if it's not been used in a while.

For more info on winter driving and year-round essentials to have in your car, see the AA's winter driving advice and the RAC's cold weather driving guide.

If you only use your car a couple of times a month, it might be worth flogging your wheels and joining a car club, which can be MoneySaving and PlanetSaving.

These clubs can be a cost-effective way to drive, as they remove your insurance, fuel, breakdown and maintenance costs. The fees can add up, however, as firms often charge annual or monthly membership fees, plus a hire fee each time you want to use a car. Some also charge extra fees per mile you drive.

Before the UK left the European Union on 31 January 2020, a UK driving licence was accepted in all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and that remained the case during the transition period that ended on 31 December 2020.

The Government had warned UK citizens might need an international driving permit (IDP) to do so after that, but following the agreement of a post-Brexit trade deal, the Department for Transport told us that in most cases you don't need an IDP. For full info, head to our Driving licence guide.

While in most cases you don't need an IDP to drive in Europe, if you're planning a trip further afield, you should check if you'll need one. For full details, see Check if you need an extra permit, but here's the key info:

• An IDP is required or recommended in over 140 countries, including Australia, India, Thailand and the USA. Drive without one where it's needed and you risk trouble with the authorities, and may be refused a hire car.

• It's in booklet format and there are three types, known as the 1926 Convention, 1949 Convention and 1968 Conventions – which one you'll need depends on where you're off to. They cost £5.50 and are available in-person from participating PayPoint stores.

Fuel price rises can be a painful addition to motoring costs. But some basic maintenance can help put the brakes on your fuel bill. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Keep your tyres inflated. Lower tyre pressure increases the drag on a car meaning you need more fuel, so regularly check the pressures are correct.

• Declutter your car. The lighter your car is, the less effort it needs to accelerate. So declutter: clear junk from the boot, and ditch unnecessary weight.

• Take your roof rack off. A roof rack adds massive wind resistance, increasing drag and making the engine work harder. Don't need it? Remove it.

• Turn off air conditioning at lower speeds. Air con uses a lot of fuel, so turn it off unless you really need it. The general consensus is it's more efficient to drive with the windows down and the air con off at lower speeds, but at higher speeds it's better to use the air con and keep windows up due to the extra drag caused.

• Don't fill it up. Fuel's heavy, so by filling up you're adding weight. The less fuel your car holds, the more efficiently it drives. Filling up slightly more often and putting less in (half or three-quarters full) will make it more efficient.

Thanks to the RAC for its help with this list. See Make your car more fuel-efficient for more.

Supermarkets often run petrol promotions. As their forecourts are usually cheap for fuel (always check though), these schemes mean you can make some decent savings.

The offers are usually something like 'spend £50 and get a 5p off a litre voucher'. Recent offers have also included 10p off a litre via a single voucher with a £50 spend.

Keep an eye on Cheap petrol & diesel for fuel promotions and info on using supermarket loyalty schemes. The best petrol & diesel deals are always in the free weekly Money Tips Email, so sign up to hear about them first.

Buying fuel is one of the biggest regular expenditures for most people, whether using a card or cash. But there's a nifty way to save every time you fill up.

Cashback cards pay you a percentage back whenever you spend on them, which can quickly add up. You get 5% introductory cashback on all spending – including on petrol and diesel – up to £2,500 (so max £125 cashback) with the American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday credit card.

After the introductory period the cashback is tiered: if you spend up to £10,000 you get 0.5% cashback, and all spending over £10,000 earns 1% cashback. You must spend at least £3,000 on the card in a year or you will get NO cashback.

Make sure you repay IN FULL each month, or you'll pay interest at 30.4% representative APR. For your chances of being accepted, use our Credit Card Eligibility Calculator, and for full details and more options, see our Credit card rewards guide.

For more ways to save on fuel, check out our guide to Cheap petrol & diesel.

Ever wondered what 'blip' markings on kerbs mean, or if a quick trip to get change is allowed? These are just some of the key points in the How to park right guide.

Parking tickets aren't just irritating - they're hideously expensive. Plus, they may take months to reverse, so arm yourself with the mythbusting Five parking facts everyone should know (if you know others who often get ticketed, pass 'em on):

1. There's no standard 'single yellow' parking restriction. You can sometimes park on a single red or yellow line, but there aren't standardised times. Always check the road signs.

2. Watch your wheels. Ensure your car's completely within any defined spot, such as a residents' or pay-and-display bay. If one wheel's outside, you risk a ticket.

3. Proudly display your permit or ticket. If you've a special permit (such as a residents' or disabled permit), a warden must be able to clearly read it otherwise you'll often get a ticket. The same goes for pay-and-display tickets.

4. Bank holiday rules vary by council. Many wrongly assume they can park anywhere on bank hols. Some councils allow parking in residents' bays or on a yellow line, others won't. There's no hard and fast rule; if unsure, don't do it.

5. Beware EVERYTHING in private car parks. Rules change on private land or in private car parks – whether at supermarkets, hospitals or elsewhere. You can be asked to pay huge amounts without reason, so check signs and be cautious.

If you live in a city, near an airport or train station, or anywhere where parking's pricey, your driveway might just be paved with gold. Rent out a parking space and you could make £200 a month or more.

Here's a quick tip, but you can find more, plus a list of the big parking sites to try and what to watch out for, in the Rent out your parking space guide.

Quickly find what yours is worth. To get an idea of what you might be able to make, clever online tools can give quick estimates. You can see what those nearby are charging for long-term stays (such as a month) with ParkLet's price guide tool.

New tyres can be pricey, but it's essential to make sure you keep them above the 1.6mm legal minimum tread depth so surface water can slip through.

To measure, use the quick 20p tyre test detailed on the TyreSafe website. Pop a 20p coin on its edge into the main grooves of the tyre tread. If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, your tyres are legal. If you can see it, get them changed.

If you're a Tesco shopper, hoard your Clubcard points and you can use them to get cheaper breakdown cover.

How does it work? Spend Tesco Clubcard vouchers on goods or services listed in its Clubcard Reward Partners brochure and you get back two times their face value.

Which policies can I get? One of the deals offered is an RAC roadside recovery policy, meaning you can sometimes get it at about half of the high street cost. Not all the usual packages are available – see what's on offer in top-pick breakdown cover.

For every year you don't claim on your insurance you get a discount, which can make a big difference to costs. If you claim, you usually lose two years off this discount – a deliberate tactic to encourage you not to claim.

You can get a protected no-claims discount so claims don't impact the discount. Some insurers, such as Elephant, also offer an accelerated no-claims bonus, such as giving a year's bonus after 10 months. See Should I protect my no-claims bonus?

Beware price rises. Remember, if you have an accident, even if you don't claim, you should report it to keep your no-claims discount. Otherwise you risk invalidating your insurance.

As a result, the price of the policy can still rise. Having a discount is one thing, but if you're seen as more of a risk (which happens when you have an accident) the price is still likely to rise, because this is a separate calculation insurers make when determining costs.

In rural or suburban areas, you can usually park for free outside busy parts of town where there are no road markings, but you can't just park anywhere that's unmarked.

Here are some basic rules to remember:

• Avoid parking near the top of a hill, as you may not be seen by approaching vehicles.

• Never park on a bend, for the same reasons.

• Make sure you're not on a clearway or red route. If you can't see a sign, or weren't looking for one, this generally means you can't park on busy roads. Stick with residential streets, or those where a lot of other cars are parked.

• Don't park within 10 metres of a junction.

• Don't park where the kerb's been lowered to allow vehicles to access a driveway, gateway or other opening.

Whether you've a banger or a Bentley, your car needs an MOT when it's three years old (four years in NI), then once a year after. But timing is crucial.

Get a test in the month before the current certificate ends – the new one will expire exactly a year from the original's end date (the earliest you can do this is printed on your current certificate).

But get it tested more than a month before the MOT's due and it'll expire exactly a year later, meaning you lose out.

Always book tests in advance if your certificate's run out. If your car's out of certification, you can drive it to the test centre provided the test's been booked. Plus, if it fails the test, to get the problems fixed you're allowed to drive it from the test station to a repair centre. However, the vehicle still must meet a certain standard of roadworthiness, otherwise you can be fined. See the Cheap MOTs guide for more.

Whether you've a flashy new convertible or a trusty old banger, there's no need to pay £100s for breakdown cover. For the latest cashback deals and top-pick roadside recovery policies, see top-pick breakdown cover deals.

You'll also find full info on the different types of policies available to help you choose the right cover, as well as specialist policies, safety tips and more.

Know where to look and you can get full-service cover from as little as £57 a year, or basic cover from the AA or RAC for £80 to £90 a year after cashback.

Don't assume you're covered if you're taking your car to the Continent. Make sure you set off fully prepared.

We have a full guide to Driving in Europe, with all the key things to check, including equipment, insurance, breakdown cover, speed limits, emissions stickers and more.

Before you book car hire, consider the alternatives. Unnecessary car hire can be an expensive, unused hindrance. Car swaps, public transport or taking your own car can work out cheaper, depending on where you're going.

Go through this checklist first:

• What's the public transport like? In Miami or Los Angeles, most people need a car to traverse the huge city distances. But in New York you can't park anywhere, so the subway wins. Many European cities have great public transport links too, so a little research goes a long way.

• How much are taxis? Sometimes car hire's cheaper than just one taxi. A taxi from Malaga airport to Marbella's about £60 to £80 each way, though you may be able to find car hire for less. So even if you don't use it again, it wins. Use international taxi fare calculator Holiday Taxis for a benchmark price.

• Can you take your own car? If you're off to Europe, this may be an option. All UK car insurance policies automatically provide the minimum cover required by law in the EU, but check if full cover extends to Europe so you know whether you have complete protection. It can be cheap to get EU breakdown cover. See Cheap breakdown cover.

If you're on two wheels, finding cheap insurance isn't always an easy ride. Our Cheap Motorbike Insurance guide has a step-by-step system to help find the cheapest cover for your needs, with tips on security, mileage, no claims and more.

Some big-name insurers tend to think motorbike, moped and scooter insurance is risky and steer clear. So lesser-known companies cover the market instead.

But it's still possible to save £100s on cover if you know where to look. While many of the methods to save are similar to car insurance, there are a few issues that are specifically for motorbike and scooter cover:

• Mileage. If you also drive a car, don't overpay because you've overestimated bike mileage. Many riders don't use their bike as their main transport, but base their estimated mileage on what they do in their car.

• Age of riders. Insurance costs jump if you're under 30, and more if under 21.

• Security. This is a big problem for bike owners. If you keep it indoors or locked to a proper bolt, fixed to your wall, you'll get a cheaper quote. Spending £100s on a lock may not substantially reduce the quote price though, so bear this in mind – and always check if it's a requirement with the insurer.

No, we don't advocate swigging the stuff – it's a challenge on the MSE Forum, where MoneySavers share tips to cut their fuel spend.

It's free to join in, open to all, and has loads of handy tips to help you reduce your fuel usage and spend less. See the Petrol/Diesel Cost Diet Challenge discussion to find ideas and share your thoughts.

A quick way to reduce your fuel bill (and carbon emissions) is simply to drive less. No, we don't mean hiring a chauffeur – try sharing journeys with other drivers.

You can do it the old-fashioned way and ask friends, family, neighbours and colleagues if they're going your way. Or you could try a dedicated car-sharing site, which lets you find or offer lifts.

For example, Natalia tweeted: "So chuffed to get a ride share sorted with @BlaBlaCar back from Cornwall. Not only has it saved me £30 on the pricey train fare but we're having such interesting discussions on the journey. Winner!"

It's worth noting, these sites aren't designed to help drivers make a profit. They're for cost sharing (in fact, you could invalidate your car insurance by making a profit). Each site suggests a passenger contribution based on the length of the journey, plus other factors such as wear and tear. Drivers can adjust this, but only within a limited range.

The sites below help connect you to others planning the same journey (though always think about safety when booking a trip). It's free to sign up – the only payments you'll make are to share your journey costs with the others in the car.

• BlaBlaCar. Founded in France in 2006, BlaBlaCar came to the UK in 2011 and now has 26 million active members across 21 countries. It lets you search for potential matches without registering, but you'll need to register for free via Facebook or email to contact a driver or offer a lift. It charges a service fee, based on the cost of the journey. It's paid by the passenger and is included in the price you see in search results. Drivers don't pay anything.

• Liftshare. It's been operating for 20 years and has 700,000 UK members. There's ahandy savings calculator to give you an indication of how much you could save per journey (though it's hard to calculate this exactly), and you can search for potential matches before registering, to see if it's worth signing up. You can also opt for weekly or monthly emails alerting you to new matches.

Though many of the issues are the same as for car owners, there are important issues that are specific to vans. There's a full list and cost-cutting system in the Cheap Van Insurance guide – here's a taster:

• Business or pleasure? If using a van for your business, make sure the policy covers business use, not just social and domestic.

• Speedy repairs. If your van's damaged or stolen, it may be out of action which could hit your livelihood. If so, look for a policy that repairs or replaces quickly.

• Contents. Vans' lack of windows make them more attractive to thieves. Check policies before buying to make sure anything left inside overnight is covered.

• Breakdowns. Most vans are used a lot, increasing the chances of breakdown. Some policies include breakdown cover, but separate cover is often cheaper.

Public transport may be a more MoneySaving alternative to driving, particularly if your once-economical motor is now a fuel-guzzling monster. And there are easy ways to cut costs even further.

The Cheap Train Tickets guide is crammed with tips on getting standard rail travel for less, from finding split tickets to railcard discounts.

Train and bus companies often offer big discounts in regular sales to fill seats. Deals have included £1 UK train and bus tickets, and London to Scotland for under £20. See Cheap Train & Coach Deals for the latest.

The Motoring forum board is fantastic for sharing ideas and swapping tips on all aspects of being on the road. Whether you want to cut the cost of learning to drive, find free car journey games or get tips on buying a second-hand car, there's something for everyone.

Ever fancied yourself as a dab hand under the bonnet? Well, why pay for basic repairs and car maintenance when you could do them yourself? The time and effort spent learning how to fix and look after your car could also prevent more serious problems down the line, saving you even more dosh.

Of course, if you're in doubt then seek professional advice, but if you're keen to learn for yourself then check with your local council, as well as nearby colleges, to see if they're running any cheap-ish car maintenance courses. For example, International Open Academy offers an online car maintenance course that costs £129. Use Find Courses to find lessons in your area.

You can also search online for tips, information and guides on how to look after your motor. The Useful Motoring Websites forum thread has a long list of helpful sites to visit, while the Car Maintenance Tips thread has a huge amount of information on fixing common car complaints.