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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Ruby Flanagan

RAC launches new app to help drivers save up to £172 a year - how it works

The RAC has launched a brand new app which tells drivers where they can find the cheapest petrol and diesel wherever they are.

The car breakdown and insurance firm says users of the app could save users with a diesel car up to £172 a year if they fill up weekly whilst petrol users can save up to £143.

Those filling their tank up every two weeks could save from 86 and £71.50 respectively.

The app, myRAC Fuel Finder which can be downloaded from , is available for everybody to use and not just RAC members.

Once downloaded, users can make up to five searches a day over a two, five, or 10 mil radius from their chosen location.

To make sure they are getting a good deal drivers can also compare these prices to the UK average for both petrol and diesel which is also displayed in the app.

The RAC's spokesperson Simon Williams said the app will stop drivers being “ripped off” by forecourts not passing on falling fuel costs to customers.

Simon added: “Having been monitoring the price of fuel for years, we know how much prices can vary from one forecourt to another, so we were determined to give drivers an easy way to make sure they get the best deal possible at the pumps.

“We firmly believe that having access to a free app like myRAC, which is always up to date, can be the difference between feeling ripped off at the pumps and being satisfied you’ve got the best deal possible near you.

“The more people who seek out the lowest prices using it, the more likely we are to see other retailers nearby lower their prices to compete.

"And, as we know, proper competition is often lacking in UK fuel retailing everywhere but in Northern Ireland where prices are considerably cheaper than on the other side of the Irish Sea.

Alongside checking fuel prices, those who use the myRAC app can set up reminders for their vehicles’ MOT, servicing, insurance and tax.

The news comes as last week the Government announced that it was to create its own "Pumpwatch" scheme which would allow drivers to compare up-to-date petrol prices online - either through a website or app - so they can find the cheapest option in their area.

This came after Brits were found to have paid an extra 6p per litre for fuel at supermarkets last year as weak competition let them charge more.

The investigation, conducted by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), looked into the UK fuel market over the last year due to concerns that falling wholesale prices were not being passed onto customers.

According to the watchdog, supermarkets were usually the cheapest place for fuel but the competition was "not working as well as it should be".

The CMA ruled that competition was "weakened" as Asda and Morrisons decided to increase the cost of fuel - whilst Sainsbury's and Tesco had priced their fuel by comparison to local competitors rather than the wholesale rate.

Motor service stations were also found to be charging 20p more for petrol and 15p more for diesel compared to other forecourts.

It is worth noting that the RAC isn't the only group offering a service such as this, one popular site is PetrolPrices.com which was founded in 2005 and is free to download as an app.

The site shows prices for all brands of fuel stations across the UK by obtaining data on fuel from the stations directly.

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