Currys cuts fuel bill by more than £400k per year

Telematics is helping technology retailer Currys reduce its annual fuel bill by more than £400,000 across its fleet of 262 Ford Transits and 410 Iveco Dailys.

Telematics data captured by Lightfoot, compared during its blind to live trials, showed that drivers at Currys achieved a 10.8% increase in MPG, a near 11% fall in CO2 emissions and reductions in vehicle idling by 5%. 

As a result, in the last year alone Currys saw its annual fuel bill drop by £416,000 – equivalent to nearly £620 for every vehicle on the fleet.

First adopted by the retailer in 2016, Lightfoot has evolved with the business, providing real-time driver feedback that has reduced instances of harsh acceleration, cornering and braking. This has contributed to a 98% reduction in incidents of riskier styles of driving. 

Chris Georgiou, head of compliance for supply chain and service operations at Currys, said: “From the early days of working with Lightfoot, we recognised the huge benefit that real-time driver feedback has to play in changing driving styles for the better. 

“It’s a world apart from using telematics retrospectively and has helped our drivers improve their driving standards, enabling them to become smoother, and safer at pace. 

“For us, the key is driver engagement. From consumer tech rewards to cash prizes in The Drivers’ Lottery, our drivers see the direct benefit of becoming Elite Drivers; all without the headache of benefits in kind. We also use data from Lightfoot to feed into our Delivery Crew of the Year competition. 

“Add to that the fact that a good Lightfoot driving record can help reduce private vehicle insurance premiums, and it’s easy to see why so many of our team are using the app, helping them to become better, more mindful drivers on the road.” 

Lightfoot provides telematics and tracking data via its portal, which Currys uses to accurately identify where and when vehicle incidents occur, alongside speed data. 

Currys also uses Lightfoot’s MPG data to contribute to annual reporting relating to fleet greenhouse gas emissions, and to its annual environmental and social governance reports.

Lightfoot uses live in-cab audible and visual alerts to help drivers reduce both fuel use and emissions.

The real-time coaching, audible end-of-journey scores, competitive driver leagues, and reward and recognition, encourage drivers to be safer and more efficient on each journey.

Alongside the fuel and environmental savings, the technology resulted in a 15.8% reduction of total annual blameworthy accidents between FY 16/17 and FY 22/23; a fact which the company actively shares with insurers and brokers.

Lightfoot’s technology and fleet manager portal allows Currys to analyse telematics data in detail at the same time as motivating its drivers through engagement comms that encourage entry into Lightfoot’s range of weekly prize draws for Elite Drivers.

Paul Hollick, Lightfoot’s MD, said: “As an early adopter of our disruptive driver-focused solution, Currys has seen the game-changing impact that our technology has had on its fleet. As a result, we’ve saved the business hundreds of thousands of pounds in fuel, reduced vehicle wear and tear, and contributed to its decarbonisation strategy.

“As Currys moves to a low carbon fleet – which includes a commitment to transitioning 100% of its small van fleet and 50% of its medium to heavy fleet to electric or alternative fuel by 2030 – we look forward to playing a continued part in motivating its drivers to be smoother and safer, enhancing vehicle range and delivering a greener, cleaner fleet, that’s fit for the future.”

Read what every fleet decision-maker needs to know about telematics from Fleet News.