motorway services petrol prices

Jibber123

I stopped off at South Mimms services last night for a bite to eat, after going out to collect something i brought from eBay and thought i'd put some diesel in as i was a little low and it might be tight to get home, and it would save me having to get fuel early in the morning on the way out.
I know motorway services stations are more expensive and i never normally use them but i thought it's been a long day and it will save me having to stop again later.
I normally pay around £1.20-1.23 ish depending on the supermarket. BP at south Mimms was £1.539 over 30p a liter more expensive! Needless to say i didn't get any fuel and made it home and then got up 15 mins earlier this morning and filled up at the local supermarket on my way out saving nearly £30. I know convenience normally attracts a premium price but this is amazing!

AdrianC

This is news?

Could you have filled up off-motorway on the way home last night?

Jibber123

I'm just shocked it so much more. It was always a few pence maybe 10p a liter more but never 30p. I drove home on the motorway, so other petrol stations were out of my way, and when i come off the motorway there are no petrol stations on route or near where we live it's about 15 mins drive to the nearest station so again out of my way.

AdrianC

Jibber123 wrote: »

I drove home on the motorway, so other petrol stations were out of my way

There are often petrol stations just off junctions - if you were coming anti-clock on the M25, there's the big Sainsbury's at London Colney, next junction round. If you were going clockwise, there's a station in the middle of Potters Bar, next junction round.

If you don't use a satnav with petrol station details, then... http://www.justoffjunction.co.uk/M25-petrol-stations.php

Ebe_Scrooge

This is hardly big news. The higher cost does have some element of justification - the running costs for the service station are high, they have to pay staff for 24 hours a day, every day of the year. They often run shuttle buses to get their staff to and from the site. So yes, they do have quite high costs - it's arguable as to how much higher than any other 24-hour petrol station.

But mostly they charge the higher prices because they can - you really are paying for the convenience. Plan ahead and pay less, it's as simple as that. It's the same principle as if you buy a train or aeroplane ticket well in advance, you'll get a better deal. If you want to just turn up and travel, you'll pay a premium.

At the end of the day, they're a business, pure and simple. If you were selling something, and you could get away with selling it at a higher price rather than a lower price, you'd do the same.

Belenus

Jibber123 wrote: »

.. and thought i'd put some diesel in as i was a little low and it might be tight to get home, and it would save me having to get fuel early in the morning on the way out. ...

You could have put 1 or 2 litres in and only spent 30p or 60p more than necessary and given yourself a decent margin to get home.

I'd rather that than the worry of running out of fuel.

Nebulous2

At home I go for cheap fuel, on holiday in France / Spain I go for cheap fuel, the bit in between I fill up at motorway service stations. I often travel overnight, towing a caravan and just want the journey to be as straightforward as possible. Since service stations have started having fast-food outlets in them I eat in them as well.

lexington013

Plus the shop costs are off the scale unless it's a Tesco or Sainsbury's tie up......

Jibber123

I've noticed that the Tesco's shops at the petrol stations are also more expensive than in store, I guess it costs more to stock the small number of shelves in a petrol station shop than the main supermarket, economy of scales.

Mercdriver

Jibber123 wrote: »

I stopped off at South Mimms services last night for a bite to eat, after going out to collect something i brought from eBay and thought i'd put some diesel in as i was a little low and it might be tight to get home, and it would save me having to get fuel early in the morning on the way out.
I know motorway services stations are more expensive and i never normally use them but i thought it's been a long day and it will save me having to stop again later.
I normally pay around £1.20-1.23 ish depending on the supermarket. BP at south Mimms was £1.539 over 30p a liter more expensive! Needless to say i didn't get any fuel and made it home and then got up 15 mins earlier this morning and filled up at the local supermarket on my way out saving nearly £30. I know convenience normally attracts a premium price but this is amazing!

What are you driving that has a 100 litre fuel tank?

Jibber123

A VW transpoter with an extra long range tank fitted so 115 litres to fill from empty. I was also towing so ideally i didn't want to get stuck trying to turn around in side roads trying to find a petrol station in the dark.