August 2008 - BUSINESSES CAN CUT FUEL BILLS AS NORTHGATE RENTS VEHICLES WITH DIESEL AT JUST 99p A LITRE
Fleets can slash their fuel bills by more than 30p a litre (£1.36 a gallon) with the launch by Britain's largest vehicle rental company of their special July promotion to encourage new customers to rent vehicles on NORFLEX and also benefit from their fleet management expertise.
All new customers renting a vehicle on NORFLEX from the Northgate network of hire companies in July for a minimum of 28 consecutive days will benefit from the special offer of filling up their tank with diesel charged at just 99p per litre. The promotion ends on 31st July.
The initiative has been launched with almost a third of all fleets - and 49% of smaller fleets - admitting in a survey that they are taking no action to keep fuel bills under control despite pump prices being at record levels.
However, the survey of more than 500 fleet decision-makers also revealed that many companies have taken some action to trim fuel bills. Initiatives include:
- Cutting some journeys (26%) with fleets running six-49 vehicles most likely to be reducing mileage
- Introducing more fuel-efficient vehicles (20%) with companies operating fleets with more than 250 vehicles leading the way
- Introducing telematics to improve journey management (17%)
- Promoting driver training and eco-driving (13%) with fleets running more than 50 vehicles in the driving seat
- Using websites to help drivers' locate cheaper fuel outlets (11%)
Northgate Vehicle Hire's special diesel offer takes the price of the fuel back to almost the level it was 12 months ago, according to the AA. In July 2007 a litre of diesel cost 97.2p (£4.41 a gallon). In June this year the average price of a gallon of diesel crashed through the £6 a gallon barrier (131.9p a litre).
Since the turn of the year, average UK diesel prices have risen from 109.2p a litre (£4.96 a gallon) adding more than £18 to the cost of filling a Ford Transit panel van with an 80-litre fuel tank. Filling a Transit up with diesel costing just 99p from Northgate would reduce the bill from £105 to £79, saving a customer £26 when they returned the vehicle.
Ross Clarkson, marketing director of Northgate Vehicle Hire, the UK's largest light commercial vehicle rental operator with a fleet of more than 68,500 vehicles operating from 21 local hire companies and 87 rental locations, said: "Fuel management and fleet efficiency is crucial for all businesses with diesel prices accelerating at an alarming rate.
"Our new 'Diesel at 99p per litre' offer is designed to underline just how rapidly pump prices have risen and therefore to encourage fleet decision-makers to focus on introducing fuel-saving initiatives.
"Vehicle Monitoring, fuel cards, driver training and the very newest fuel-efficient vehicles are all available from Northgate and all will contribute to fleets cutting their fuel bills."
