Reading: Properly Inflate Tyres to Avoid Extra VAT Pain at the Fuel Pump

Hard-pressed motorists were dealt another blow yesterday when the Chancellor slapped an extra 2p a litre on fuel tax from September.

But drivers can claw back some of the extra cost by making sure their car tyres are properly inflated.

Making sure your tyres have the right amount of air in them can save vehicle owners up between 8-10 per cent on their annual fuel bill.

Tyres are also more likely to wear out prematurely if they are over or under-inflated, which is an additional expense for motorists to bear.

Check the manufacturer’s vehicle handbook or the doorjam on the driver’s side to find the correct pressure recommendation.

It is better to take a pressure reading when the tyres are cold and should be done at least once a week, according to the Highway Code.

If the tyres are above or below the recommended pressure, adjust immediately.

If drivers get into the habit of checking their tyre pressure now, they can save money immediately and ease the pain of the VAT rise which takes effect on 1^st September.

And the chancellor Alistair Darling had even more bad news for motorists – the VAT hike will continue to rise by 1p a litre every April between 2010 and 2013!

Oliver Hall, Operations Team

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Blogs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.