With the news that BP and Shell are under investigation by the European Commission over suspicions they falsely reported oil prices, fuel prices could eventually drop.
Car purchase aside, fuel is the driver's biggest outlay. Cash-conscious drivers have long suspected that fuel prices have been too high and for too long, but there's no alternative to paying up after you've filled up.
The price of petrol has risen more than 80 per cent to about 135p per litre since 2002 while diesel is even more expensive, negating some of the economy advantages inherent with diesel engines.
There's a trend towards downsizing, to smaller cars with more fuel-efficient engines, but there's still a variety of things you can do to reduce your fuel usage.
The first is to shop around. Prices vary wildly, but local competition is good. Cheap supermarket fuel in the vicinity usually leads the big oil companies to lower their prices.