Fright-free fuelling: Scarily good ways to save on fuel

As the nights get darker and the weather cools down, many fleet managers are facing a different kind of fright: rising fuel and operational costs. For businesses already juggling high demand, tight delivery schedules and driver availability, the last thing you need is spooky surprises creeping into your fuel bill.

But here’s the good news: controlling your fuel spend doesn’t require a dramatic overhaul. A few practical changes and some smart digital tools can help you cut costs, improve efficiency, and avoid nasty surprises.

Here are some simple tricks to save on fuel this October and stop rising costs from haunting your fleet.

In many businesses, it's not one major issue that drives up fuel spend, but a dozen small inefficiencies happening every day. These can be easy to miss unless you know where to look.

Here are a few culprits that often go unnoticed:

1. Idling engines

Whether waiting at a delivery site, stuck in traffic or warming up on a cold morning, idling uses fuel without getting you anywhere. Just one hour of idling can burn up to a litre of fuel.

2. Poor route planning

Sending drivers into peak congestion or taking the same route can result in unnecessary mileage and stop-start driving – two major enemies of efficiency.

3. Inconsistent receipts or tracking

If you’re still relying on drivers to hand in paper fuel receipts, it’s easy for spend to go unmonitored. Gaps in visibility can lead to overspending or misclaims, and leave you scrambling at VAT time.

4. Harsh driving habits

Sudden acceleration, speeding and hard braking don’t just increase wear on your vehicles, they burn through fuel much faster than necessary.

These five steps will help you tighten things up and reduce unnecessary spend:

1. Refresh driver habits

Run a short refresher on fuel-friendly driving: smooth acceleration, gentle braking, maintaining steady speeds, and switching off engines when stopped. It’s also a good time to remind teams about route planning and avoiding premium-price forecourts.

2. Re-evaluate your routes

Use live traffic tools, satnav apps or your fleet’s telematics system to review common routes. Are drivers hitting regular congestion? Could deliveries be scheduled during quieter times? A small change in timing can have a big impact on mileage and fuel use.

3. Introduce digital receipts

Go paperless. By using a fuel card that automatically generates digital VAT invoices, you remove the need for drivers to collect receipts and gain a clearer view of spend across your fleet.

4. Track fuel by vehicle

Review consumption per driver or vehicle to identify outliers. Is one van burning significantly more fuel than the others? Is there a driver with higher average fill-ups? This data can help you spot inefficiencies early, before they become costly.

5. Set spend limits

Fuel card tools let you cap spend per card, vehicle or user. This keeps you within budget, prevents overspending on long or unscheduled trips, and provides predictability in your cash flow.

It’s much easier to stay on top of fuel use when you have access to accurate, real-time data. And with fuelGenie, that’s exactly what you get.

Using the fuelGenie app and online account dashboard, you can:

• View and track fuel spend by driver, card or vehicle
• Set spending limits to stay in control
• Monitor trends over time and flag anomalies
• Access HMRC-approved invoices digitally
• Spot inefficiencies like idling, frequent fill-ups or costly detours

With fuelGenie+ you also get access to a wider network of sites, including Shell garages. This means that drivers always have affordable, accessible refuelling options, even when working off the usual routes.

These three words are key to managing fleet fuel spend, especially during peak seasons when operations get busier and prices fluctuate.

• Control means you decide how much can be spent, and by whom.
• Visibility means you can spot spikes and outliers before they cause issues.
• Predictability means you can budget more accurately for the months ahead.

With fuelGenie, you’re not just reacting to rising prices, you’re proactively managing them.

Fuel prices may be rising, but your costs don’t have to follow. By getting ahead of inefficiencies and using digital tools to manage spend, you can keep your fleet on the road without letting fuel expenses become a thing of nightmares.