COMPANIES and company car drivers who make the effort to shop around for the lowest fuel prices will profit significantly, while filling station prices continue to vary massively nationwide. The latest monthly fuel report from fuel card company PHH AllStar claims a 400-strong fleet could save £189,353 a year by consistently buying the lowest priced fuel available.

The figure has been calculated by taking the highest and lowest unleaded petrol prices nationally by town for October and assuming three weekly fill-ups and 15-gallon fuel tanks. Even though the price of fuel fell fractionally across all grades - 0.55p a litre/2.5p a gallon - last month, PHH says fleets must urge drivers to watch pump prices. The latest report shows pump prices vary by as much as 4.2p a litre/19p a gallon across all fuel grades.

Highest and lowest fuel prices: diesel - lowest, Glasgow 62.62p a litre/284.67p a gallon; highest, Aberystwyth 66.13p/300.62p. Unleaded - lowest, Bradford 62.76p/285.3p; highest, Aberystwyth 67.21p/305.53p. Four star - lowest, Halifax 66.86p/303.94p; highest, Cambridge 71.42p/324.67p.