LIVING COST HIKE CAUSES DRIVERS TO DELAY SERVICING

LIVING COST HIKE CAUSES DRIVERS TO DELAY SERVICING
News Published on : 11-Apr-2022 17:57:12

An online Opinion Matters poll of more than 2 000 UK car owners commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman the Ombudsman dedicated to the automotive sector has revealed that the majority (56%) of respondents who do not currently have a service plan in place* are planning to miss (33%) or delay (23%) their car s annual service this year beyond the vehicle manufacturer s recommended interval in order to save money in the face of the sharp rise in the cost of living. April has already proved to be a challenging period for the nation s households resulting from the introduction of a 54% increase in the price cap for gas and electricity bills and rises in council tax and Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) which all came into force at the beginning of this month. This has come on top of the current high cost of petrol and diesel at the pumps - a concern for 87% of car owners according to The Motor Ombudsman poll as well as surging inflation making goods on shelves even more expensive. In addition as the new tax year begins tomorrow consumers are set to have even less money in their pockets due to having to pay 1.25% more in National Insurance contributions with 69% of individuals surveyed saying that this was another source of worry. Aside from the legal requirement of an annual MOT for cars aged three years and over taking a vehicle to a garage on time for a yearly service is important to keeping it both roadworthy and safe for occupants and fellow road users. The study revealed that female car owners (57%) individuals residing in Wales (66%) and 45- to 54-year-olds (64%) emerged as being the least likely to either get their car serviced at all this year or to take their car to a garage on time once they had reached the next servicing interval based on the mileage completed or on the 12-month anniversary since the last check. When car owners were also asked how else they were planning to reduce their motoring spend this year which applied to 68% of those who said in the survey that they were looking to make savings in 2022 there were five key areas where these individuals were looking to cut back. These were namely by using their vehicle less walking or cycling to destinations where they would have previously gone in the car driving more efficiently to save fuel shopping around for cheaper car insurance and using public transport more often.