The Benefits Of Storing Fuel Onsite
If you run a transportation company, construction company, vehicle dealership or any kind of vehicle fleet, you have no doubt wondered if your current fuelling system is the most economical option. You might have felt restricted by the network of filling stations offered by fuel card companies, or wondered how much cheaper the service would be without management fees.
On-site fuel management systems are the most economical plan for keeping all your vehicles fuelled, and fuel is available 24/7 for vehicles to be refuelled and equipment serviced. This article explores the benefits of storing fuel on-site and investing in a modern fuel management system, and you’ll find there’s plenty of opportunities to save money, time and effort, prevent fuel theft and tighten your controls over the business.
Cost Efficiency
Fuel costs are an ongoing expense for any business that needs to keep a fleet of vehicles fuelled. However, there are other less obvious costs involved with fuel that a fuel management system can help you save on. There are several costs involved with fuel cards that can be an unnecessary expense for your business, ranging from the management fees charged by card companies to the staff wages you pay while they drive somewhere to fill up.
When it comes to the cost benefits of fuel management systems, firstly, when compared to a bunkering system or fuel cards, good on-site fuel management systems have the potential to save you around 10p per litre, saving your business thousands over the course of the year. The main reason for this is because fuel is cheaper when bought in bulk, and fuel is purchased from an open market where competition can often lead to lower prices.
This also allows you to make the fuel purchasing decisions, such as purchasing at a time when oil is of lower value. It is also common for oil supply companies to establish mutually-beneficial relationships with their customers, helping you get a better deal.
Save Time And Effort
On-site fuel management systems are generally regarded as much more efficient than alternatives such as fuel cards. When your business is using a fuel card system, this often means that employees will have to travel to fill up. It is common for employees to have to go out of their way to get fuel, making detours and making disruptions to their planned journeys. When fuel is stored on-site with a fuel management system, it eradicates the need to waste time and resources travelling for fuel, helping jobs get completed quicker and more efficiently.
Keep Thieves At Bay
Fuel theft is a common occurrence amongst many companies, although some don’t want to admit it. It is also easy with many other fuelling systems for fuel theft to go undetected as it is hard to spot and pin down within businesses.
It is common within businesses using fuel cards for employees to use the company’s fuel allowances for their own personal use, even letting their friends top-up on the card. This can lead your costs to be significantly higher if you aren’t keeping tight controls. With an on-site fuel management system, you are given complete control over your fuel, and as the fuel is stored on-site, it allows you to be fully aware of who is using it, when they are using it, and how much they are using.
Maintain, Control And Monitor Fuel Consumption
With an on-site fuel management system, a key element is the fuel monitoring system that allows you to track, purchase and dispense fuel. Many systems available make the most of up-to-date technology, feeding real-time information on your fuel consumption and management directly to your business, even sending updates to your smartphone. It is common for a package to also come with a fuel management system, a dispenser and a tank management system, such as bunded fuel tanks.
The system will already be installed and fully functioning when it arrives on-site, reducing the amount of downtime for your business. One other aspect of on-site fuel storage and management systems is that the quality control of the fuel is entirely in the hands of your business. This may not be an issue if your business goes through tanks of fuel within a matter of months, however, if you plan to store the fuel for a longer time period quality checks and maintenance will be necessary.
The good thing about this is that the quality levels of your fuel and the costs involved in checking it are up to you. Maintaining the quality of fuel usually involves checking the filters, checking the quality during hot and humid conditions, and having tanks checked that you suspect may contain water.
The time, money and effort saved are significant, and business owners can feel secure in the peace of mind that they are doing everything they can to ensure the efficacy of their business. There is no fuelling solution that gives you this much control over the maintenance, monitoring and consumption of your fuel, and your business will quickly reap the reward.
To find out more about our on site fuel manauagement systems and fuel storage tank solutions contact us today.
