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FUEL FOR THOUGHT
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- Sam Walker
COSTCO is one of the world's largest retailers, but you may not know it sells fuel as well as food and household items.
The American chain has 29 stores in the UK, and runs 18 petrol and diesel forecourts.
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While the cost of fuel remains high compared to the same time last year, prices have actually dropped off in recent weeks across parts of the UK.
According to the government's website, the average price for unleaded petrol on July 11 was 190.63p - by August 22, it was 171.14p.
On the same respective dates, diesel was 198.74p and then down to 182.92p.
Motorists spotted petrol for 159.7p per litre at one Costco forecourt in Manchester, and 155.7p per litre in another in Birmingham.
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However, there is one catch - you have to be a member to get hold of Costco fuel and other goods.
Becoming a member will set you back £26.40 a year if you're a trader or£33.60 for everyone else.
That's because Costco is a wholesaler where you can bulk buy for cheap, however you can't just walk in if you're not already signed up.
But how do Costco fuel prices stack up against each other, and where can you buy it?
You can find out the prices across the retailers' 18 forecourts by using its tool on its website.
When we looked on August 30, this was how prices compared:
- Birmingham: Unleaded petrol - 151.9p, premium diesel - 168.7p
- Bristol: Unleaded petrol - 153.9p, premium diesel - 168.9p
- Chester: Unleaded petrol - 157.9p, premium diesel - 171.7p
- Coventry: Unleaded petrol - 155.7p, premium diesel - 170.7p
- Derby: Unleaded petrol - 155.7p, premium diesel - 170.7p
- Edinburgh: Unleaded petrol - 159.7p, premium diesel - 171.7p
- Gateshead: Unleaded petrol - 158.7p, premium diesel - 173.7p
- Glasgow: Unleaded petrol - 156.7p, premium diesel - 173.7p
- Haydock: Unleaded petrol - 156.7p, premium diesel - 172.9p
- Leicester: Unleaded petrol -151.7p, premium diesel - 167.9p
- Liverpool: Unleaded petrol - 155.9p, premium diesel - 170.9p
- Manchester: Unleaded petrol - 155.7p, premium diesel - 171.7p
- Oldham: Unleaded petrol - 155.7p, premium diesel - 168.7p
- Sheffield: Unleaded petrol - 155.9p, premium diesel - 171.9p
- Southampton: Unleaded petrol - 154.7p, premium diesel - 169.7p
- Stevenage: Unleaded petrol - 159.9p, premium diesel - 174.7p
- Thurrock: Unleaded petrol - 156.7p, premium diesel - 168.7p
- Watford: Unleaded petrol - 157.7p, premium diesel - 172.7p
So that means the cheapest location to pick up both unleaded petrol and diesel is Leicester.
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One thing to bear in mind is that these prices are updated on Costco's website regularly, but they may not be the same when you go to the pump.
How else can I get cheap fuel?
If you're not a member at Costco but want to cut back on fuel costs, you have some options.
On thePetrolPricesapp and website, which compiles data from the public, you can check prices from more than 8,000 forecourts near you.
Comparison websiteConfused.comalso has a petrol prices checker that lets registered users find petrol prices within a five, 10 or 25mile radius.
If you don't fancy those, Fleet News and Allstar lets you check petrol prices across multiple counties to see how your area compares to others in the UK.
You can also save money on fuel at Tesco by using its Clubcard scheme.
How can I reduce my fuel usage?
As well as shopping around for the cheapest fuel, there are tricks and hacks you can employ to actually cut your fuel usage down.
For example, avoiding harsh braking or other sudden movements in your vehicle will make for a smoother drive and reduce the amount you spend on fuel.
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Decluttering your car by either removing unnecessary items or not filling your tank up to the brim will help to cut back on costs as well.
In addition, pumping your tyres up will create less drag on the road and reduce the amount of fuel or diesel you use.
