Moving fuel and mileage calculator

Budget for every driven leg

Fuel is easier to estimate when the route is split into the journeys the vehicle will actually make. Include travelling to collect the van, the loaded move, any return trips and the vehicle's return where relevant. A 60-mile move can require substantially more than 60 miles of driving.

This calculator multiplies one entered leg distance by the number of legs. It supports miles or kilometres and three consumption measures: UK miles per gallon, litres per 100 kilometres and kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres. Use the measure that matches your vehicle information and enter the price for one litre or one kilowatt-hour accordingly.

If your journeys have different lengths or materially different consumption, calculate them separately and combine the results in your budget. Do not label two unequal routes as identical legs merely because both happen on the same moving day. A loaded van and an empty return can also use energy differently, so a single economy figure is an explicit planning assumption.

How the fuel calculation works

For miles per gallon, the tool divides total miles by the entered UK mpg figure, then multiplies by 4.54609 to convert imperial gallons to litres. It uses UK gallons, not US gallons. The litres are multiplied by your entered price per litre.

For litres per 100 kilometres, total kilometres are divided by 100 and multiplied by consumption. Electricity uses the same structure with kWh instead of litres. The entered tolls, ferry and parking total is added once after the fuel or energy calculation; it is not multiplied by the number of legs.

Distance converts using 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometres. Calculations use unrounded values internally, with displayed amounts rounded for readability. A zero unit price genuinely produces zero fuel cost, so do not use zero as a placeholder for an unknown pump or charging price.

Worked example: a return journey in a van

These are hypothetical inputs, not current fuel prices or a vehicle promise. Enter 60 miles for one leg, two legs, consumption of 30 UK mpg and £1.50 per litre. Total distance is 120 miles. That uses 120 ÷ 30 × 4.54609 = 18.18436 litres, displayed as 18.18 litres.

Fuel cost is £27.28 after rounding. Adding £12 for total parking and tolls gives a travel total of £39.28. The £12 is included once. If the rental requires another 20 miles of driving, calculate or incorporate that additional distance before using the result as the whole journey budget.

For an electric example, 100 kilometres over two legs at 25 kWh per 100 kilometres uses 50 kWh. At an invented £0.40 per kWh, that is £20 before extras. Actual charging costs can depend on where and how you charge; use the applicable tariff and consider whether the consumption assumption includes relevant losses.

What changes typical travel costs

The main inputs are total distance, actual consumption and the price paid. Load, driving conditions, route, temperature and traffic can make the achieved figure differ from a brochure or dashboard estimate. Use a conservative scenario alongside your base case if the vehicle or route is unfamiliar.

Check hire charges separately: fuel is not the same as excess mileage, rental days, cover or a refundable security deposit. Add those through the DIY comparison or moving budget rather than hiding them inside a fictitious fuel price. Keep ferry and parking estimates traceable to the actual route or booking.

Use the estimate without confusing it with navigation

The tool does not calculate a route, check restrictions or book charging stops. Use suitable route information for the actual vehicle and allow for practical breaks. Review hiring a van and confirm the provider's return-fuel arrangements before collecting it. Save the final travel total once, avoiding a second fuel entry elsewhere in your overall budget.

How to use this tool

1. Count the journeys. Enter the distance for one equal-length leg and how many such legs you will drive. Calculate materially different routes separately instead of assuming every journey is identical.

1. Match the units. Select miles or kilometres and the consumption measure shown in your vehicle information. Enter the corresponding price per litre or kWh, plus the total non-fuel travel charges.

1. Review the assumptions. Check loaded-vehicle economy, missing collection or return travel and charging or fuel arrangements. Add the resulting travel amount to your budget without duplicating it in another line.

Frequently asked questions

Does this use UK or US miles per gallon?

UK mpg uses an imperial gallon of 4.54609 litres. If your consumption figure uses US gallons, convert it appropriately before using the UK mpg option.

Are tolls and parking multiplied by the number of legs?

No. The extras field is the combined total for all included travel. Fuel or energy follows the distance calculation, and extras are added once afterwards.

Can I use this for an electric moving van?

Yes, choose kWh per 100 km and enter the relevant electricity price per kWh. The result remains an estimate and does not plan charger availability, charging time or range.