The Challenge
Having tried paying for fuel using credit cards, Norfolk Recovery found that whilst this provided them with a monthly bill, it still meant drivers had to remember to ask for a VAT receipt at the time of purchase. This precious piece of paper needed to be kept safe until the end of the month, when all the receipts could be gathered to generate a VAT claim. Invariably between fill ups drivers would lose receipts or forget to ask for one at the time of refuelling.
The Solution
To gain control of their biggest expense and help with the VAT reclaim, Norfolk Recovery decided to shift to fuel cards. Having made the initial switch to fuel cards a few years ago, when AVRO announced their new partnership with Silvey Fleet, owner and operator, Craig Alexander was one of the early adopters. “As our drivers were already used to using fuel cards it was an easy transition to move to Silvey Fleet,” notes Craig.
The Benefits
What Craig was not anticipating, as a result of the switch to Silvey Fleet, were the savings his business made on refuelling their sixteen vehicles. “With our previous supplier I paid little attention to the price because they did not proactively contact us. Each week with Silvey Fleet I know the price for the week ahead, plus with just one invoice it is so much easier to reclaim VAT since its included on the invoice”
Initially Craig’s drivers only had one Silvey Fleet fuel card giving them access to Keyfuels sites. To ensure better coverage for the area they cover across East Anglia, Craig gave drivers a second card, the Esso card which allows them to refuel at those sites too! If drivers are in any doubt, there are even apps to find a suitable fuel station.
What do you value most?
Having regular communication with a team of fuel card specialists and just one invoice that provides me with information on every vehicle, including the VAT element.