How to save fuel on the school run
Published - 4 min read
Short, stop-start school runs are hard on fuel economy. Simple ways to use less petrol or diesel on the school run, from sharing lifts to filling up for less.
Why the school run uses so much fuel
The school run is close to the worst kind of driving for fuel economy. Trips are short, so the engine spends much of the journey cold, and a cold engine uses more fuel. Traffic near schools means lots of stopping, starting and sitting still with the engine running. Many families also do it twice a day, five days a week, so small savings add up over a school year.
You can't change where the school is, but you can change how you get there and how you drive.
Drive less often
- Share lifts. Taking turns with another family or two can cut the number of trips you make each week. Ask other parents in your class or street.
- Walk, scoot or cycle when you can. Even one or two days a week makes a difference, and many schools encourage it.
- Park and stride. Parking a short walk away avoids the queue at the gates, where cars spend most time crawling and idling.
- Combine errands. Do the food shop, post office or fill-up on the way back, rather than making a separate trip later. One longer trip with a warm engine uses less fuel than several short ones.
Drive more smoothly
- Pull away gently and look ahead, so you can ease off early rather than brake hard.
- Turn the engine off if you're waiting in one place for more than a short while, and don't leave it running to warm up on the drive.
- Use air conditioning and heated screens only as much as you need. They put extra load on the engine.
- Clear out the boot. Sports kit, buggies and bags that live in the car add weight on every trip.
- Keep your tyres at the pressure in your handbook. Soft tyres make the engine work harder.
For more everyday tips, see how to spend less on fuel.
Pay less when you fill up
Driving less is only half of it. The price you pay per litre can vary a lot between forecourts in the same town, and the station nearest the school isn't always the cheapest. Pennyfill shows prices from the official UK Government Fuel Finder data, updated twice a day, on a free map with no account or adverts. Check before you set off and fill up somewhere on your route.
Supermarket forecourts are often, but not always, cheaper than branded ones. Our guide to supermarket vs brand fuel explains the differences, and you can compare fuel prices near you or see today's averages on the UK Fuel Price Index.
Work out what the school run really costs
Knowing the cost helps you decide whether sharing lifts or walking a few days a week is worth it. Measure the round trip, then use the fuel cost calculator with your car's real economy. Remember that short trips usually do worse than the figure on your dashboard over a long drive. Our guide on working out your real MPG shows how to measure it.
Let prices come to you
If you'd rather not check prices every week, Pennyfill Pro sends price alerts when fuel near you gets cheaper and tips when a cheaper forecourt is nearby. It also adds loyalty-card prices and multi-stop routes, which help if your morning takes in the school, work and the shops. Pro costs £2.99 a month or £19.99 a year.