Fuel Policies
Fuel Policies
They Do Differ From Supplier to Supplier
Once upon a time car rental was a similar package no matter where you picked it up. The fuel tank was full, you had an insurance excess on CDW / Theft and you had to return the vehilce full with fuel. If you didn’t you were charged a premium cost for the fact the rental company had to fill it up.
Well then for Car Hire Spain it all got very competitive, the cost of holidays reduced and a handful of rental companies thought of a great way of getting the edge over the big boys. Thus was born the concept of giving zero excess on insurance, charging the customer for the fuel in the car and asking them to return it empty.
The rental companies with a mix of good publicity, strong broker partners and great prices now equate to a large number of the total rentals Spain and have expanded even outside of Spain. These might sound great for you next rental but there are factors to consider when choosing your fuel policy / supplier.
Now of course the larger suppliers such as Europcar and National especially in the UK have introduced a wide range of fuel policies without the zero excess incentive. They do not have the premium cost of the zero excess suppliers and their cost per liter is reasonable – worth checking out at the counter.
Duration of Rental
If you are going for less than three days some of the full to empty suppliers will allow you a full to full rental. If you are going for four to six days it simply might not be worth it. The fact is you get no refund for unused petrol meaning the tank of fuel (with premium) would not be worth the time spent in the car. If you are looking for a short duration then it is probably best to go with a full to full supplier, the short duration means cheaper insurance to lower the cost of the CDW or Theft excess amounts.
Mileage
Similar to the explanation below – if your expected mileage is low then you are probably not going to use the fuel you have paid for. With no refunds for unused fuel only fill up when needed, filling it with ample fuel to return the car, waisting as little fuel and money as possible.
Your Insurance
If you have insurance for your rental excess amounts through either your credit card or a third party like Insurace4carhire.com found on this site you may not need the benefits of a full to empty supplier. If you are comfortable claiming any excess payments on your return then you may not need zero excess. What every your preference in terms of your insurance coverage on holiday will effect your choice of fuel policy.
Cost
Cost of the rental is always a factor when choosing the fuel policy – the success of these full to empty suppliers is in their aggressive pricing. One thing is for sure though lower costs normally have a knock on effect in the queue at the supplier’s desk. If you can afford it and don’t want a full to empty policy it is worth spending the few extra quid on the more tradional car hire suppliers.
Related posts:
- Automatic Car Hire Insurance
- Fuel Tips
- Money Saving Tips for Car Hire
- What is a Car Hire Broker?
- Automatic Car Rental
Tags: broker, car, cdw, europcar, excess, fuel, insurance, rental, theft