Mileage calculator

The amount of mileage you do can affect the cost of your car insurance.

If you don’t use your car much and clock up only a low annual mileage, you’re likely to get cheaper car insurance than someone who drives a lot more.

That’s because spending more time on the road means there's a greater chance of being involved in an accident. High mileage drivers are therefore regarded as more of a risk to insure and their premiums will reflect that, whereas those with low mileage will pay less.

Other things will be taken into account too - things like your age, claims history, the car you drive and where you live. All of these can affect premium prices.

How to use our mileage calculator

Simply key in the average number of miles you drive per day (or week/month - whichever you prefer) and the calculator will give you a figure for the approximate number of miles you drive in a year.

Remember to include commuting journeys during the week, social or shopping trips at the weekend plus one-off journeys you do around the country.

Why use a mileage calculator

When it comes to letting your insurance provider know your annual mileage, it’s important that you’re as accurate as you can be.

If you overestimate the amount you drive, you could unnecessarily end up paying more than you need to for your car insurance.

However, if you underestimate - or deliberately mislead your insurer about your mileage to get a cheaper quote - they may not pay out in the event of a claim and will cancel your policy or make it void.

Not only would this mean you’d be left to foot the bill for any accidents and damage to your car, but you may also struggle to find insurers to cover you in the future. You’ll likely pay a higher price for that if you do find a provider.

It’s also good to know how much mileage you cover in a year to see what it’s costing you.

It can help you budget better - or it may even push you to try to reduce your mileage to save money.

Our fuel cost calculator will allow you to see how much your annual mileage is costing you in petrol or diesel. It also works out how much an individual journey costs you - whether that’s your regular commute or a one-off trip you’ve got planned.

Claiming back business mileage

Most employers reimburse you when you use your own car for business travel (not including your commute to and from work).

You’re paid a certain amount per business mile travelled with mileage allowance payments.

HMRC provides approved business mileage rates every tax year. For 2022, the mileage allowance rate for cars is 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile for anything over 10,000 miles.

Your employer will be guided by these rates, but they’re not compulsory. They may pay you more or less than this per mile.

If you get reimbursed less than HMRC’s advisory amount by your employer (or not at all), then you can claim mileage allowance relief (MAR) as a tax deduction.

For more details and to check if you can - and how to - make a claim, go to the gov.uk website.

You’ll need to keep records of all your business mileage, dates of trips and details of where you travelled from and to.

How to reduce your mileage

Use public transport

Using public transport not only helps you reduce your mileage, but lowers your carbon footprint too. The cost of train or bus tickets might not necessarily be cheaper than your fuel costs though.

Walk, run or cycle

Get fit, reduce your mileage and lower your carbon footprint by getting around under your own steam. The cost of a bike might seem like a large initial cost, but you could quickly make it back by saving money on fuel and car maintenance.

Lift share

If other colleagues or friends are travelling to the same place, see if you can lift share. Remember to check if your insurance policy allows it. A small number of policies may specifically exclude carpooling. But most should cover you - as long as you’re not making any profit by taking passengers. Give your insurer a call to be sure.

Work from home

If your employer allows you to, working from home is a great way to reduce your annual mileage. Skipping the commute one day a week would reduce your working week mileage by 20%.

Plan your route

If you have to drive, plan your route. The most efficient route will help reduce your miles. You can use apps to find the shortest route or the route with the least traffic.

Have stuff delivered

Having shopping and items delivered saves you from using your car to pick things up. There’s often a charge for delivery, of course, so factor that in.

Stay local

Shop locally when you can - walk or drive to nearby shops rather than making long trips to large retail outlets.

Petrol prices near me

The cost of fuel has risen quite dramatically, so it can pay to know exactly where to get the best deal on petrol and diesel in your area with our handy petrol price tool.

Simply key in your postcode and you’ll get a list of the cheapest places to fill up nearby.

Saving even just a couple of pence per litre all adds up when you’re filling the tank.

Benefits of reducing your mileage

As well as spending less on fuel and reducing your carbon footprint, you'll also save money on the general maintenance of your car.

Your tyres and engine components will last longer, and wear and tear on your vehicle will be less extensive which will extend its overall life.

Fuel saving tips

Follow our economical tips to help cut down fuel use (and keep a little extra money in your pocket):

1. Don’t slam the pedals - and do anticipate the road ahead

Aim to keep to as constant a legal speed as road conditions allow, without making sudden manoeuvres like braking heavily and accelerating sharply. This type of driving burns more fuel - so aim for gentle acceleration and deceleration. If you look ahead and anticipate what’s coming, you won’t need to brake heavily and speed up again as often. Instead, you can slow down gradually by easing off the accelerator, then gently accelerate again - a more fuel-efficient way of driving.

2. Reduce weight and drag

The more weight your car carries, the more fuel it burns, so maybe it’s time to clear out the boot. The same applies to drag, so avoid using roof racks or roof storage boxes where possible.

3. Don’t idle

As cars have become more efficient, it’s usually now more eco-friendly to turn off your engine and restart it, rather than leaving it idling.

4. Maintain your car

Keeping your car in peak condition will help you save a little fuel here and there, which all adds up. A few examples include replacing the air filter, making sure the fuel cap has a good seal, changing the oil and having the fuel injectors cleaned. Get your car serviced regularly so you know everything’s running as efficiently as possible.

5. Check the tyre pressure

Low tyre pressure increases resistance on the road, meaning you burn more fuel when moving. Check the correct tyre pressure for your car in its manual or on the TyreSafe website

6. Fill up using loyalty cards

Petrol can often be cheaper at supermarket forecourts (use our petrol price tool to be sure). And if you swipe your supermarket loyalty card, you can make even more savings. As of November 2022, at a Tesco petrol station, you can collect 1 point on Tesco clubcard for every £2 you spend on fuel - every 50 points gets you 50p in vouchers. Collect 1 point on your Nectar card per litre of fuel purchased at Sainsbury's petrol stations (every point is worth 0.5p)