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Cost of motoring 'up nine per cent in five months'

07/04/2010

The cost of running a car has risen by 8.6% in just five months, new estimates suggest.

And the figures, calculated by Sainsbury's Finance, suggest that motorists are paying around a fifth (20%) more now than they were in September 2007.

According to the bank, the average cost of running a car for a year now stands at approximately £2,539, compared to an estimated £2,338 five months ago. In 2007, the annual cost stood at around £2,100.

Costs have been driven up by rising fuel prices - up 10% in the past five months - and an increase (11%) in the cost of car insurance. The bank added that vehicle taxation has risen by 26% over the past two and a half years.

"All costs, but particularly fuel prices and insurance premiums, continue to rise," said Sainsbury's spokesperson Ben Tyte. He advised motorists to shop around, particularly for their car insurance and servicing.

The bank also highlighted that road tax changes introduced at the beginning of April would push costs up further. Under the changes, motorists who buy a new car in the highest carbon dioxide emission band will pay £950 in its first year of registration.

Tyte added that, for those buying a new car, it was worth "haggling down the price to offset this higher cost".

But while the overall cost of motoring is rising, new Government proposals may offer some relief to drivers using motorway services. Under changes mooted by the Department for Transport, service areas would lose the ability to impose penalties on drivers who outstay the current two-hour limit for free parking.

Welcoming the proposals, an AA spokesperson told The Telegraph that current "opportunist" practices allowed penalty charges for tired drivers who sleep "more than a few hours in the quiet of the night".

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