Free air for Tyre Pressure at Garage Forecourts

MalcolmsWit

We recently filled our car up with petrol at Sainsbury's Service station and were delighted to find they were offering free air for Tyre pressure checks and air at their forecourt.. Some time ago most Service stations/ Garages offered free air but now most are charging for this facility and some are quite expensive. Certainly our local Tesco Express charge 50p for just a short time which we think is exorbitant . Do all Salisbury Service Stations offer this free facilities and what other main petrol stations do not charge.

bengalknights

I under the assumption that all sainsburys and morrisons forecourt offer free air (based on the ones ive visited)

AdrianC

If you don't want to pay for air, then buy a cheap pump and a pressure gauge.

maxheadroom

our morrisons charges but give you a free token if you buy a certain amount of fuel (think you need to spen 20?)

neilmcl

MalcolmsWit wrote: »

We recently filled our car up with petrol at Sainsbury's Service station and were delighted to find they were offering free air for Tyre pressure checks and air at their forecourt.. Some time ago most Service stations/ Garages offered free air but now most are charging for this facility and some are quite expensive. Certainly our local Tesco Express charge 50p for just a short time which we think is exorbitant . Do all Salisbury Service Stations offer this free facilities and what other main petrol stations do not charge.

In my experience it's the opposite.

neilmcl

AdrianC wrote: »

If you don't want to pay for air, then buy a cheap pump and a pressure gauge.

And you'll probably get a more accurate reading.

DigForVictory

Heads off to see if I download a tomtom points of interest of just Morrisons & Sainsburys petrol stations, as I resent having to find the right change for unspecified seconds of airpressure!

Will then look on ebay for pump & gauge - but a cheap gauge has questionable reliability...

Bigphil1474

Every Sainsbury's in my area has free air (and water), every Tesco I've been to charges - although the one near my house charges 20p, others are 50p. Can't think I've been to any others that are free, but I don't have Morrisons near me. Last time I went to Asda petrol station it was free, but I've changed route home so haven't been for years.

iolanthe07

Back in the days when free air was almost universal, I asked a Forecourt Manager why he had started charging (it was 10p then). He said it was to try and recoup the cost of vandalism to the equipment, which occured on a regular basis at night when the forecourt was closed.

Ebe_Scrooge

It's also worth remembering that a compressor is an expensive piece of kit to buy. It also needs maintenance, and fuel to run it (whether electricity, diesel or petrol). So whilst "air" is free, "compressed air" isn't. Some garages will offer free air, maybe to tempt in more customers I guess ? But it's not unreasonable to charge for it; of course, what is a reasonable amount to charge is a different discussion.

burlington6

They are there to make money, just like any other business. The compressors need to be bought, maintained and run.