Don’t be a fuel: Over a quarter of motorists admit to filling up their car with the wrong type of fuel

The motoring experts at Go.Compare car insurance have found that over a quarter (29%)* of people have accidentally filled their cars, bikes or vans with the wrong type of fuel, according to new research out today.*

The comparison site asked over 1000 motorists* who either own or rent a car, motorbike or van if they’d ever accidentally filled up at a petrol station using the wrong type of fuel and it found that:

• Men are more likely to misfuel than their female counterparts – with a third (33%) of men saying they’ve accidentally used the wrong fuel to fill up, compared with 23% of women.
• Younger motorists seem to be more at risk of misfuelling with over half (54%) of those aged 18-24 admitting that they’ve previously used the wrong pump to fill-up their vehicle, compared with just 12% of motorists aged 55 and over.
• London-based motorists are more likely to use the wrong pump than any other region, with 48% of those based in the capital saying that they have used the wrong type of fuel.

“Misfuelling” is a term used to describe when the wrong type of fuel is used to fill up a vehicle, for example, if you put petrol into a diesel engine or vice versa. This can cause significant damage, which often isn’t covered as standard in a car insurance policy. 

Go.Compare found that 62% of car insurance policies do not cover you for loss or damage as a result of using the wrong fuel,** meaning that an accidental misfuel could do damage to your bank balance as well as your car.

Tom Banks, Go.Compare car insurance spokesperson, said: “Our research shows that misfuelling is a surprisingly common mistake that people make – and with many car insurance policies not covering this as standard, it could be a really costly error.

“If your policy does cover misfuelling, this could help pay for the cost of draining and flushing your tank. Some policies may also cover the cost of repairs needed because of misfuelling, but it’s important to check, as many car insurance policies might exclude misfuelling altogether, leaving you unprotected.

“In the event you do accidentally fill up with the wrong fuel, it’s important not to turn your key in the ignition or try to drive away as this can potentially cause thousands of pounds worth of damage. Provided you haven’t started the engine, you may be able to fix the problem by draining and cleaning the tank. Most breakdown policies will cover the cost of draining your car’s fuel tank and taking it to a garage if needed.

“We definitely recommend taking the time to check whether you have breakdown cover as part of your car insurance, or as standalone cover – and what the limits of your policies are – because as our research shows, these kinds of mistakes happen more often than you might think.”

For more information about misfuelling and the cover available, visit: http://www.gocompare.com/car-insurance/misfuelling-cover/.

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