Look closer at smarter control of fuel costs
Taking a closer look at fuel cards should reveal that they have much more to offer fleet managers than savings on diesel and petrol, says The Fuel Card People.
The company says: "The whole point of finding the right fuel card, however, is to save money and time. No other way of buying fuel offers the advantages of fuel cards. With commercial rate fuel cards, you always know in advance exactly how much your fuel will cost, regardless of where a driver fills up, and the price is typically up to 4p per litre less than the national average pump prices."
Your fixed price applies at thousands of filling stations nationwide, from city centres to rural back roads. It even applies to motorway service stations, where the saving is up to 10p per litre. You refuel now and pay later, with the interval between refuelling and being invoiced meaning anywhere up to two weeks of interest-free credit.
You only pay for the fuel, with no transaction charges or other hidden extras. On top of the cost savings, you save hours of administration time, with paperwork being eliminated. One single weekly invoice covers all refuelling, itemised across the whole fleet, and is paid automatically by direct debit. There are no receipts to collect and process, no individual statements to reconcile. Reclaiming the VAT is simple and fast.
Add in the benefits of leading-edge security, 24/7 account access, customised on-demand reports and the advantages of having your own dedicated account manager, rather than having to queue for a random, anonymous call centre operator. Then, consider the value of having fuel cards chosen from a range that covers every major brand, independents and even supermarkets. There is real peace of mind in knowing that you receive expert advice from somebody independent, with no need to steer you towards any particular solution.
All of this, though, is only the beginning. The same impartial experts can help with guidance and services that go well beyond refuelling. With the right fuel card, from the right supplier, you can look forward to shortening journeys, monitoring and reducing fleet emissions, improving fuel consumption and cutting service and repair bills. One of the major benefits is the help available in meeting your duty of care obligations. That means not just compliance with the law, but fewer and less costly accidents.
