Consider the Comparison
In 2024, car owners spent over £3,800 to run their cars.
That’s over £1,000 for value depreciation, almost £1,000 on fuel, £700 just for insurance, and then there’s MOT & repairs, tax, and break-down assistance, etc.
A vehicle is really about getting from A-to-B, so given an average car drives 6,300 miles each year, this works out at 60p/mile.
We’re talking over £300 / month. And car ownership can definitely hit you with some huge repair bills, often when you least expect it! Let’s face it, owning a car is a struggle.
Car sharing saves money!
Source SmartCarCheck 2024
Clear Costs
Community-owned cars are, for many, a cheaper alternative. We’ve put together a simple pricing structure, that will make driving a POD car a satisfying and relaxing experience.
*A subscription tariff of just £1/month is available for users with a low income. For users aged 65-74 years, the subscription fee is £10/month, due to the insurance. Users 75 and over will need to contact us individually. Additionally, any user may opt to pay an additional £12.50/month as an insurance excess waiver – reducing the excess from £1,000 to just £100.
Joining POD requires an application process, so that we can ensure the longer-term sustainability of the car-sharing club. This will include a one-off £25 administrative signup fee.
Read about the many other benefits of car-sharing.
Full transparency
In most circumstances, the prices above will cover everything. There’s a few additional details for POD users to be aware of – such as getting a refund for returning a vehicle early, or the fees for speeding offences or parking fines.
| Additional Fees and Refunds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rate for taking the car up to a maximum of 20 minutes earlier than booked time, if it’s available (see 11.1 in terms and conditions). | 10.4p per minute (£6.25 hourly rate) | |
| Rate of refund for returning a vehicle early (see 12.2 in terms and conditions). | 10.4p per minute (£6.25 hourly rate) | |
| Rate for returning a vehicle late (see 12.3 in terms and conditions). | 33.3p per minute (£20.00 hourly rate) | |
| Rate for amending or cancelling a booking (see 10.2 in terms and conditions). | No charge* | |
| Administrative fee for dealing with speeding offences, parking fines, unpaid tolls, etc (see 15.1 in terms and conditions). | £25 | |
| Charge for leaving the car dirty/not in a fit state for use, including having smoked or vaped in the car (see 15.1 in terms and conditions). | £50 | |
| Administrative fee for non-payment of all or part of your monthly bill (see 9.2 in terms and conditions). | £50 for each attempt to contact (excluding the first attempt) | |
| Any damage caused where the user has not acted in compliance with POD’s insurance or caused through negligence (see 7 in terms and conditions) | The full cost of any damages plus a £50 admin fee | |
*This will be monitored. If a user is found to be cancelling or shortening a large number of bookings, they may be asked to cover costs at POD’s discretion.
Examples of Savings
How do costs compare to owning and running a car?
Of course, it depends how much you use your car. Car sharing inevitably isn’t going to be cost-effective if you rely on a car every day for commuting. But if you own a car and use it less often, POD could be cost-effective, enabling you to give up the costs (and hassle!) of car ownership.
Remember, the average cost of running a car in the UK was more than £3800 in 2024. Here’s a few examples of people of would save money with POD…
Emily – £580 annual cost
Emily is concerned about the environment and wants to do her bit to reduce carbon emissions. She usually gets around by foot or on a bicycle and uses public transport for longer journeys, but has to ask friends for a lift when she can’t use public transport (e.g. to transport something heavy).
Emily needs a car about once/month for 1-hour odd jobs about town, such as going to the tip or moving furniture.
She also goes to see her grandma for an afternoon in Blackburn four times/year, and once a year she heads away for a weekend getaway in the Lake District.
After the monthly fee, she calculates she will pay just £630 for the year. And without having to worry about MOTs or insurance, she makes a big saving and has a lot less headache!
For Emily, car sharing saves money!
| Monthly fee (£6.00 per month) | £72 |
| Monthly odd-jobs (12 one-hour, 8 mile trips) | £108 |
| Visiting grandma quarterly (4 five-hour, 50 mile trips) | £200 |
| Lake District weekend (two-day, 200 mile trip) | £200 |
| Total | £580 |
Chris – £1,925 annual cost
Chris is semi-retired, now works part-time locally and lives in a terraced house where parking is difficult.
Chris knows that giving up the car is probably the right thing to do, but is mainly motivated by avoiding the hassle and cost of car ownership (parking, tax insurance, MOT, repairs, etc.).
Chris would use a POD car for a weekly pickup of his grandchild after school, regular hospital visits and the occasional day trip.
For Chris, car sharing saves money!
| Monthly fee (£10.00 per month) | £120 |
| Picking up grandchild weekly (40 two-hour, 15 mile trips) | £710 |
| Regular hospital visits (12 five-hour, 50 mile trips) | £585 |
| Occasional day trips (4 one-day, 150 mile trips) | £510 |
| Total | £1,925 |
Sarah – £2,285 annual cost
Sarah is a single parent on a low income with one child at a local nursery and another in a local school.
She uses public transport for work, but needs a car for the weekly shop, occasional trips to the recycling centre, and to visit elderly relatives who live 25 miles away.
The family has an occasional day out to the seaside in the summer.
She calculates this to be cheaper – and a lot less hassle – than owning a car.
For Sarah, car sharing saves money!
| Monthly fee (£1.00 per month) | £12 |
| Weekly shop (52 two-hour, 15 mile trips) | £923 |
| Recycling centre or family visits (12 five-hour, 50 mile trips) | £585 |
| Trips to the seaside (6 one-day, 150 mile trips) | £765 |
| Total | £2,285 |
Gill and Sam – £540 annual cost
Gill and her partner Sam work from home.
They walk everywhere around Hebden Bridge, although Gill occasionally drives them to Todmorden or Halifax.
They are happy to take the train most of the time.
For Gill and Sam, car sharing saves money!
| Monthly fee (£6.00 per month) | £72 |
| 12 two-hour, 15 mile trips | £213 |
| 2 one-day, 150 mile trips | £255 |
| Total | £540 |
Next Steps
Think you’ll save? Then take the next step…