THE COST of misfuelling is a bill totalling £30 million for drivers. Just because you accidentally put the wrong fuel in the car.
According to the AA, the number of the motorists who put the wrong type of fuel in their car in the UK has doubled over the last 10 years, and now affects an estimated 150,000 drivers. The cost to remove the fuel is around £200.
However, a new misfuelling insurance product from Complectus, which has been underwritten by AXA Assistance, removes the financial pain of accidentally using the wrong fuel pump.
The yearly cost is as low as £10 per car, and has been designed for sole traders with just one car, or businesses with fleets of up to 50 company cars or more.
“Our policy is to get rid of that gut-wrenching moment when you know you’ve done something really awful,” explained Complectus managing director, Peter Powell. “The insurance is perfect for multiple user fleets when there can be confusion over the right fuel to put in the car.”
Misfuelling most commonly occurs when unleaded fuel, with a smaller nozzle, is used to fill a diesel tank. Misfuelling, in most cases, is excluded from motor insurance policies and breakdown cover.
“On average, 150,000 drivers a year make the error of misfuelling. With modern engines running quieter, mixed fleets and with multi-car ownership, it’s easy to see how in a momentary lapse of concentration this happens. We believe our policy covers the key issue of misfuelling at a very reasonable price,” added Mr Powell.
The misfuelling insurance from Complectus covers draining and flushing the fuel tank on site using a specialist roadside vehicle, or recovery of the car and up to six passengers to the nearest repairer to drain and flush the tank. Cars are replenished with 10 litres of the correct fuel.
The cost for businesses with 1-10 cars is £12 per vehicle (or £30 for three years’ cover). For companies with 11-50 cars the cost is £10 per car (or £25 for three years’ cover). Those companies with fleets of over 50 cars can expect further discounts.
Further information
There’s additional commentary on the issue of accidentally putting the incorrect fuel in your car in the Editor’s Blog The misery of misfuelling.
Yearly cover from £10 a car
