A little-known button on petrol pumps, which came to light in a TikTok video recently, has wowed motorists
Motorists across the country have been left gobsmacked after stumbling upon a hidden feature at petrol stations, which allows them to set a spending limit before filling up.
This little-known button prevents the pump from dispensing more fuel than the pre-determined amount, thus avoiding the awkwardness of overspending — a delight for budget-conscious drivers.
The revelation came to light in a viral TikTok video, where user @ommelyla shared her astonishment, writing incredulously: “Was it just me who didn’t know?” before going on to detail the method.
“Do you know you can set the amount you want to spend when you’re filling your car with petrol?”
While demonstrating, she reveals: “Before you even start you can set a limit of how much you want to spend and the pump will automatically turn off when you reach that amount. Like here when I only spent a tenner exactly.”
In some refuelling spots, there’s also an option to choose the quantity of petrol desired, reports the Mirror.
Expanding on this, a Tesco petrol station instruction elaborates: “Before you lift the nozzle, tell the pump exactly how much you want to put in and it will stop for you.
“Press ’10’ and/or ‘1’ to set the amount example: press ’10 twice for £20.”
The steps are straightforward: “Press £/Lts’ for price or volume. Press ‘Pay at Kiosk’ or ‘Pay at Pump’. Remove nozzle and start to fuel. The pump will stop at your selected amount.”
However, the availability of this feature isn’t uniform at all locations.
User @Leitmo pointed out: “Depends which station. Near me, Tesco has it but Morrisons doesn’t.”
However, the majority of TikTok users have deemed the tool unnecessary and not required for various reasons, as reported by the Express.
One motorist shared: “Na I prefer risking it and playing the game of having a fast reaction time.”
Another insisted: “Just pump till the car is brimmed… it’s not like you’re not going to use it.”
@silenthill987 remarked: “Or [surely] it’s easier to just [lift] nozzle pump and leave go.
“Does it matter if it’s 10.07 or 9.97? Not everyone has OCD.”
In 2022, TikTok user @livticks posted a video demonstrating the hack, calling it a “game changer”.
@hayley. campbellx pointed out: “As someone who works in a petrol station I hope this reaches the right audience.
“I’m so tired of the penny complaints when it’s so easy to fix.”
Elsewhere, drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles have been warned that they shouldn’t put fuel in their cars at peak times. According to experts at NetVoucherCodes, midday and 5pm are the worst times to fuel up.
Prices are reportedly lower at certain times of the day, with drivers being told to think about ways to save the pennies before rushing to the petrol station.