Where your town ranks as Northern Ireland’s cheapest spots to fill up revealed

Parents tackling the dreaded school runs are being shown the most pocket-friendly places to fill up their cars

Parents tackling the dreaded school runs are being shown the most pocket-friendly places to fill up their cars across Northern Ireland to help make savings on their fuel bills.

Back-to-school season is a challenging time financially for many families, with new figures showing that a third of NI parents are being forced into debt to meet the costs of uniforms, lunches and after-school care.

Some drivers will also be racking up extra miles taking their kids to and from school and clubs each day, which can add extra pressure to an already stretched household budget.

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To help parents cut back on fuel costs, the car insurance experts at CompareNI.com have revealed the cheapest places to fill up cars across Northern Ireland.

Ian Wilson, Managing Director and car insurance expert at CompareNI.com said: “Back-to-school expenses put a huge strain on household budgets, with some parents having to rely on high-risk borrowing such as credit cards or money lenders to meet these costs. Combine this with rising grocery and energy bills, as well as stubbornly high fuel costs, and many people are understandably feeling the pinch.

“The average petrol price in Northern Ireland is currently 127.4p, meaning it costs £70 to fill up a 55-litre family petrol car. For diesel drivers, the cost of filling a tank is £73. Any opportunity to save money can make a big difference, and so CompareNI.com has ranked the most cost-effective towns to refuel the car and shave some money off the monthly expenses.

“Families should consider stopping off in one of the cheaper towns if they happen to be in the area – perhaps if they are out and about at the weekend on a road trip with the kids – to fill up the tank for the week ahead and take advantage of the savings.”

Topping the rankings as the cheapest towns for petrol are Ballymena, Banbridge and Dungannon, where the average price is currently 124.9p – 2.5p lower than the NI average.

At the other end of the scale, the most expensive places to fill up with petrol are Magherafelt, Newcastle and Newry, where prices are 2.5p above average at 129.9p.

For diesel drivers, Cookstown comes in cheapest at 4.1p below average at 129.2p. Limavady is a close second place at 130.4p, with Dungannon just behind at 130.9p.

The most expensive prices for diesel can be found in Downpatrick at 136.9p, which is 3.6p per litre above the NI average. This is followed by Enniskillen and Newry at 135.9p.

To help save even more money on fuel, CompareNI has provided several small and simple tweaks motorists can make to their driving habits.

CompareNI’s top tips to save money on petrol and diesel:

• Drive smoothly: Avoiding excessive acceleration and sudden braking – using cruise control if you have it is a great way to help maintain a constant speed.
• Plan ahead: While motorway service stations may be more convenient when it comes to refuelling, you could be paying a significant mark-up compared to using supermarket or independent forecourts. It pays to plan ahead and find out which locations offer the best value for money at the pumps.
• Regular maintenance: Making sure your tyres are fully inflated will help improve fuel efficiency, as will reducing the weight your vehicle is carrying and ensuring it is serviced regularly.
• Use air con wisely: As the air conditioning system is powered by the engine, switching it on could increase your fuel consumption by as much as 10%,** so it is best to use this sparingly.

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