Would you ask passengers for petrol money?

If you’re a driver, you’ll often happily or reluctantly end up giving lifts to friends and families, ferrying them everywhere from the dentist to the airport. But that generosity doesn’t come cheap.

New figures from Tempcover show that motorists lose £457.50 a year giving lifts to other people.

But with the Iran war sending fuel costs skyrocketing, more people are starting to ask their passengers for petrol money.

Motorists getting more conscious of what they’re spending

Nearly half of drivers (43%) say they’ve started asking for petrol money more often, specifically because petrol costs more than it did a few months ago.

Others, meanwhile, are keeping costs down by being less generous with lifts.

Nearly one in four (24%) say they’re offering lifts less often these days, while one in ten (9%) have stopped driving friends and relatives around completely.

Not everyone is comfortable asking for petrol money

Almost one in three (30%) say they don’t always ask for money because they don’t want to appear stingy.

Meanwhile, a similar number (33%) say it feels awkward.

So despite shouldering a bill of hundreds of pounds a year, a huge number of drivers are taking the hit just because they’re worried about looking bad.

Young drivers more likely to ask for petrol money

Interestingly, there’s a clear age gap when it comes to who’d be happy to ask their passengers for petrol money.

One in three (33%) Gen Z drivers say they do so some or all of the time.

By contrast, 80% of 62 to 89-year-olds say they wouldn’t ask to be paid for a lift.

But it’s notable that everyone’s mileage varies - no pun intended - when it comes to how far people would drive before asking for petrol money.

Gen Z motorists would wait 42.6 miles before asking for a financial contribution, whereas older drivers would hit their limit at 36.2 miles.

So while younger people are more likely to ask for petrol money, they’ll typically drive further than older adults before actually making the request.

How much does it cost to fill up your car?

According to the RAC, the average price of a litre of unleaded rose to 159.4p in May.

That’s 2.5p more than it was a month earlier.

A litre of diesel, meanwhile, typically costs 183.9p - a drop of 4.5p.

“May was a better month for drivers of diesel vehicles than it was for petrol,” said RAC head of policy Simon Williams.

“Those relying on unleaded had to endure yet another rise at the pumps, while those who use diesel saw a welcome 4.5p reduction.”

If you’re worried about the cost of filling up the tank, check out our tips on how to save money while driving.