CalcPad · Motoring
UK Driving & Car Cost Tools
Running a car in the UK is one of the biggest household costs after rent or mortgage. These free tools help you spend less on fuel, servicing and your next car — no sign-up, no catch.
Cheapest Fuel Near Me
Live petrol & diesel prices from thousands of UK forecourts — search by postcode, sort by cheapest.
Parking Near Me
Find car parks near any UK postcode on a map, with distances — plus how to pay less near airports, stadiums and city centres.
Petrol vs Electric Calculator
See exactly how much you'd save (or not) switching to an EV, based on your mileage and charging mix.
Car Service Cost Estimator
Typical UK prices for an interim, full or major service and MOT — by car size — so you don't overpay.
Check My MOT
Enter a number plate for a car's MOT status, expiry, full mileage history and past advisories — from official DVSA records.
Car Depreciation Calculator
Estimate what a car will be worth in a few years and the true cost of owning it.
Commute Cost Calculator
Work out what your daily commute really costs in fuel and time over a year.
Car Lease vs Buy
Compare leasing against buying outright or on finance to see which suits you.
What does it really cost to run a car in the UK?
The headline price of a car is only the start. Over a year, the typical UK driver spends far more on the running costs — fuel, insurance, servicing, tax, MOT and depreciation — than most people realise. Fuel alone can run to well over a thousand pounds a year for an average mileage, and a single full service plus MOT can be a few hundred. The good news is that several of these costs are easy to cut once you can see them clearly, which is what the tools above are for.
The three biggest levers
- Fuel — prices vary by 10p+ per litre between nearby forecourts. Checking before you fill, rather than topping up at the first (often dearest) station, is the simplest recurring saving. Use the cheapest fuel finder.
- Servicing — main dealers are usually the most expensive; a well-reviewed independent garage is often just as good for far less, and an MOT is capped by law at £54.85. Estimate first with the service cost tool.
- Your next car — depreciation is the single largest cost of ownership for many cars, and the petrol-vs-electric decision can swing your annual running cost by hundreds of pounds. The petrol vs EV calculator shows the difference for your driving.
Why these tools are free
CalcPad builds free, no-sign-up UK calculators and tools. The motoring set above uses live retailer fuel data and transparent UK pricing assumptions you can adjust to match your own car. Where we link to products or services we may earn a small commission, which keeps the tools free — it never changes the prices or results you see.
These tools are free guides using figures you provide and publicly available data. They are not financial advice — always confirm current prices and check your own vehicle's requirements before deciding.