Petrol and diesel owners told to never fill up car shortly after 5pm

Petrol and diesel owners have been told to “avoid” filling up their car after 5pm every evening with “late evenings" or “early mornings" identified as the best time. Gordon Wallis, motoring expert from Your NRG, stressed that prices tend to be lower at the start and end of the day as fewer people are buying fuel.

However, queuing up with commuters at the height of rush hour around 5pm is unlikely to pay off with motorists paying more and waiting in line for longer. The revelation could be a major boost to road users, with data from the RAC indicating petrol prices were up 2p per litre in June. Unleaded petrol now stands at around 134.17p per litre, meaning it would cost a staggering £73.79 to fill up a 55-litre family car.

Wallis explained: “It's a good idea to fill up your gas tank during late evenings or early mornings because fewer people buy fuel, so the prices are lower. Drivers should try to avoid filling up during midday or after 5pm when most people are done with work, as queues can quickly form."

Rebecca Bebbington, personal finance expert at NetVoucherCodes, previously warned that topping up tanks later in the day would pay off.

She warned that petrol and diesel fuel prices tend to “fluctuate” during the day with costs lower at certain hours. Rebecca identified lunchtime and straight after work as two of the worst times to fill-up with road users encouraged to stay away.

She said: “Petrol prices can fluctuate throughout the day, with prices typically lower during off-peak hours. Try to fill up your tank early in the morning or late at night to take advantage of potentially lower prices.

“Avoid peak times such as midday and after 5pm when the majority of the country finishes work.”

RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams recently stressed July would be a “telling month” for fuel prices, with fears that drivers could be stuck paying an "elevated amount" for the foreseeable future.

Simon said: “The arrival of summer has brought some wholly unwelcome increases to pump prices, with retailers wasting no time in putting them up following increased tensions in the Middle East.

“Unleaded and diesel are now both at their highest levels since late April, although we see no reason for further increases as wholesale prices have come back down again."