Car expert says petrol pump hack could save drivers £500 and stop ‘serious issue’

A motoring expert has revealed a simple trick to help you shave money off your fuel bill every time you fill up with petrol. 

Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, said that changing a small but common habit could even save you a £500 repair bill. 

While many British motorists like to round up the cost of filling up their petrol tank to the nearest pound, Mr Conway warned against the practice. 

He said: ‘Squeezing the fuel pump after the first click, also known as ”topping off”, might seem like the right thing to do so you can make it up to the nearest pound, but it’s really not’.  

‘That’s because it’s likely to still dispense some fuel that won’t end up in your tank’. 

Graham Conway, managing director of Select Car Leasing, said that changing a small but common habit could even save you a £500 repair bill (File image)

The motoring guru added that ignoring the first click could mean you are filling up past the top of the fuel tank port, thereby wasting money on fuel that will simply drain away.

Graham continued: ‘On some pumps the extra fuel may be sucked back into the pipe. This means you are paying the petrol station to give them back their own fuel. 

‘A more serious issue, one that could damage your car and cost you serious cash, is connected to the vapour recovery system.

‘This prevents evaporated petrol or diesel escaping when you release the petrol cap to fill up, capturing it in a charcoal canister instead.

‘But if you are forcing surplus petrol or diesel into the tank, this can propel liquid fuel into the pipes and damage the vapour recovery system. 

‘That means you will soon see warning lights on your dashboard and run the risk of failing emissions tests’. 

He warned that doing so continuously could even see you have to fork out a whopping £500, should your car become damaged and need to be repaired. 

Although many people use contactless payment or a debit card to pay for fuel, a large number have kept the habit of rounding up to the nearest pound (File image)

Although many people use contactless payment or a debit card to pay for fuel, a large number have kept the habit of rounding up to the nearest pound, which would make life easier if paying with cash. 

Mr Conway advised only paying for the fuel you need – as a way to cut the cost of each fuel bill, adding: ‘Many people have a slightly obsessive compulsive side to their character, so it is understandable that they want to reach a nice round number.

‘But with the majority now shunning cash for cards, and apps such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, there is less need to be so accurate.

‘It also removes the frustration of carefully trying to get to a certain mark and the counter somehow ticking over by a penny – an experience most will have had at some point.’