Buying a new or used car is not a decision that is often taken lightly. After buying a house, buying a car is the second largest household expenditure you will make. Therefore, it is always wise to do a little research in order to get it right. Whilst the initial price of the car is important the ongoing expenses are also worth considering. Many people keep their vehicles for a number of years and therefore should be aware of how much the car will cost to run and how fuel efficient it will be.

To help consumers make decisions on these things, a government initiative was introduced in 2005 where all new cars were given fuel economy labels that detailed the estimated running costs of the vehicle, its average fuel consumption and its environmental impact. The labels were designed by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (Low CVP) to be user friendly and to provide motorists with information that would help them choose the right car for them.

The labels are optional and it is up to dealers to sign up to the scheme, but since their introduction a large number of dealers have become involved. This is great news for motorists who are looking to purchase a new car, but did not really hold any relevance to those drivers looking to buy a second hand vehicle. So in August 2009 the scheme was rolled out to include used cars as well. Again participation by the dealers was voluntary and this time there were two levels for dealers to choose from.

The first involves only labelling used cars on their forecourt that are under two years of age. The second involves providing labels for all cars that were manufactured after 2001. The process is simple, with dealers who sign up to take part being issued with an online link from which they can print off the labels for the cars that they have in stock. The labels will be created by the VCA and colour coded to make reading the information easy.

Labels for used cars will also be similar to those for new cars, providing information on the make and model, as well as the vehicles MPG and an estimated fuel consumption level over twelve thousand miles. At present the scheme is not available for private sales although in the future it may be possible for individuals to retrieve this information from the internet before they make a car purchase. So far the response to the scheme by consumers has been positive with many people citing that a lack of information in the past has made choosing the right car more difficult. Nowadays motorists are not just focusing on the initial outlay involved in buying a car, but also the future costs such as fuel, motor insurance and road tax. These labels should provide drivers with a good indication of what these costs are likely to be and therefore whether they can afford the vehicle.

Every year honest drivers have to foot a bill of around €40 each because of uninsured motorists on Ireland’s roads according to the findings of a new survey. It is thought that there are as many as 100,000 uninsured drivers using the roads, which is costing law-abiding motorists about €60 million a year.

John Casey, the head of the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland, the company that compensates the victims of drivers without insurance, said that around 5 per cent of motorists on the country’s roads were driving illegally without the necessary insurance. He warned that people who were ignoring the law would be chased through the courts if they were responsible for an accident.

The Motor Insurance Bureau (MIBI) paid out around €62 million in 2008 to people who had been involved in a collision with an uninsured driver. Although figures for 2009 have not yet been audited, it is expected that a rise in the cost of claims will be seen and Mr Casey said that the number of claims had risen over the past few years.

It is estimated that claims involving drivers without car insurance are adding €40 per premium held by law-abiding drivers every year. Although the MIBI is responsible for compensating motorists who have had an accident with an uninsured driver, all insurers pay into this fund, which is a cost borne by insured motorists. The MIBI are able to pursue uninsured drivers through the courts for damages, which is separate to any criminal proceedings that may be taken.

One insurance expert claimed that some motorists were uninsured due to an oversight, but a larger number were willingly ignoring the law to have motor insurance cover. The average insurance policy was €550, but as much as €44 of this figure was made up of the costs incurred for covering uninsured drivers.

There have since been calls for more roadside checks by the Gardai as statistically uninsured cars tended to be higher risk as the cars were often stolen or the vehicle was unregistered and had no National Car Test.

A recent survey which questioned 11,000 motorists revealed that one-in-three drivers had never been stopped by the Gardai and four out of 10 drivers never had to show their driving licence to a Garda.

It is obviously a very important part of your car, so not something you want to ‘go cheaper’ on. The prices of them vary, there is no one set cost. As guideline expect to pay anywhere from £30 to £180 (but expect it to be at the lower end of the range).

First
Don’t just presume you can fit any old battery. There are 2 different types, ‘standard’ and ‘calcium’. So first you need to find out what type of battery your car needs.

How Do I Do that?
On the halfords website they have a very cool tool which allows you to enter your Registration and it will tell you, alternatively you can enter your car details manually. Use the tool here: Halfords website.

Want To Save Money?
Once you have found out what battery you need, you could just go with Halfords to save yourself time. But if you want to save a few quid make a note of the battery and then shop around online. There are many places selling them, simple google searches can start you off, also check eBay as there are lots of good companies selling on there.

Disposal Of Old One
Remember if you are doing the swap yourself then you need to dispose of the old one responsibly. You can’t just take it to a landfill site. The batteries can be recycled so you need to take it to an approved waste disposal company. Many shops that sell car batteries will take your old one so it is worth asking them.

Image used is from sxc, copyright owned by respective owner.

Having recently purchased myself a second-hand Ford Focus I wanted to look properly at the exact cost of MOT’s for future reference. I know what my friends have said but I wanted to research further.

It turns out there isn’t just one ‘flat fee’ that everyone will pay, because garages can charge what they want! Read on below.

The Official Figure
According to the Government cars (up to 8 passenger seats) incur a fee of £54.85.

Other Vehicles
Caravans, quads and taxis all have exactly the same fee.

Why Do Prices Change?
You may have heard people telling you a variety of prices. This is because (despite the fee I just mentioned above) the garages who do MOT’s can charge what they want. Hence people reporting a vast array of different prices.

Budgeting
So when planning ahead you probably can’t work out the exact cost, but at least £54.85 is a good ballpark figure to work on. And of course don’t forget any repairs that may be needed!

Image used is from sxc. Copyright owned by respective owners.

Here is a look at vehicles which the government have deemed exempt from paying road road tax. It is actually
quite simple.

Old Vehicles
If a car was constructed before January 1st in 1973 then it is classed as a ‘historic vehicle’ and so doesn’t have to pay.

Still Need To Tax It?
Although your car may be classed as exempt it doesn’t mean you don’t have to have ‘vehicle tax’, you still have to renew your ‘free’ tax disc every year via the DVLA.

What Else Applies For The Freebie?

• Some disabled people (depends on certain benefits)
• Mobility scooters and powered wheel chairs (must have maximum speed of 8mph)

What About Other Vehicles?
Electric, mowing and steam powered all come under separate tax classes, not under ‘vehicle tax’.

We hope this answers your questions. Any other problems, please post them below in the comments section!

Image from sxc. Copyright owned by respective owner.