Cost of Living Campaign - Feeling the financial pinch as car running costs soar again

Drivers face ever increasing fuel prices (photo: Adobe)

Our Cost of Living Campaign – Price Watch highlights the impact of rising bills on our readers

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Under-pressure Brits are feeling the financial pinch in these austere times and rising fuel prices are adding heartache to drivers’ everyday costs.

With UK petrol prices rising daily, rocketing above £2 in some areas, the cost of owning a car is at the forefront of UK drivers’ minds.

We can offer some help via the National World community Cost of Living - Price Watch community campaign, which lends a listening ear and useful tips.

The latest crusade is third of our cost of living drives, following on from the company’s successful Heat & Eat and Keep Us Warm This Winter drives.

A new study by Rivervale Leasing has looked into the average cost of driving, taking into account the average cost of insurance, fuel, parking, tolls, repairs, servicing and road tax in the 50 most populous areas in the UK.

The cost of filling a tank of fuel is incraesing rapidly (photo: Adobe)

Rivervale Leasing researched the charges from toll roads, bridges and tunnels, London’s Congestion and ULEZ zone, plus Clean Air Zones to reveal how much drivers spend each year.

With rising fuel costs, insurance premium hikes and the eye-watering price of parking, the pleasure of driving doesn’t come cheap.

Data from Riverdale

Leasing reveals that British drivers spend a huge £3,800 per year on average – and that’s without buying the car itself.

Riverdale Leasing uncovered the cheapest and most expensive places to drive a car.

City of Westminster is the most expensive to drive in, costing £8.7k per year

City of Westminster is the most expensive UK area to drive a car (photo: Adobe)

It’s no surprise that the London borough is the most expensive place to drive in the UK and is £4,922 more than the average.

A large chunk of this comes from the London Congestion Charge, costing £15 a day to drive through the capital’s busiest areas.

Congestion Charges in the capital are most expensive in the UK (photo: Adobe)

But even without the Congestion Charge, the City of Westminster is still the most expensive place to drive in.

It’s also the priciest place to park overall, costing a huge £3,684 each year.

Data identified the ten most expensive UK areas for charges.

The following is based on area, followed by name of charge or toll and finally annual tolls, congestion and/or clean air zone charges.

1 City of Westminster; London Congestion Charge; cost is £3,015.

2 Birmingham; Clean Air Zone Charge; cost is £1,608.

3 Liverpool; Mersey Tunnels Toll; cost is £683.

4 Birkenhead; Mersey Tunnels Toll; cost is £683.

5 Newcastle Upon Tyne; Tyne Tunnel Toll; cost is £683.

6 Plymouth; Tamar Bridge Toll; cost is £603.

7 Kingston Upon Hull; Humber Bridge Toll; cost is £543.

8 Bristol; Clifton Suspension Bridge Toll; cost is £402.

9 Southampton; Itchen Bridge Toll; cost is £241.

10 Preston; Cartford Bridge Toll; cost is £201.

Data showed the ten most expensive UK areas to drive a car are: City of Westminster, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Belfast, Islington, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Croydon.

The data also showed the ten cheapest UK areas to drive a car are: Crawley, Dudley, Warrington, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Sunderland, Southend-on-Sea, Swindon, Milton Keynes, Mansfield.