A “typical” new diesel van in the UK often uses somewhere around £60–£160 of diesel per week, but the real answer depends mainly on miles driven and the van’s size/weight. As a rough guide, many small-to-medium new diesel vans return 35–50mpg (UK) in mixed real-world use, while larger panel vans are often closer to 25–35mpg.
Quick way to estimate your weekly fuel use
Use this simple rule of thumb:
Weekly litres ≈ (weekly miles ÷ mpg) × 4.546
Example: 300 miles/week in a new mid-size diesel doing 40mpg:
300 ÷ 40 = 7.5 gallons/week → 7.5 × 4.546 ≈ 34 litres/week.
If diesel is, say, £1.55/litre (prices vary), that’s about £53/week.
What changes the number most
Van size and payload: A small car-derived van can be very frugal; a 3.5-tonne panel van carrying tools or materials will use more.
Driving pattern: Stop-start city work, short trips and lots of idling can add 20–40% versus steady A-road/motorway runs.
Spec choices: Automatic gearboxes, higher-roof bodies, aggressive tyres and roof racks all tend to increase consumption.
Two useful follow-ups
Should you trust the official mpg figure? Use it only as a starting point; ask the dealer for typical fleet/real-world mpg for your exact model and body type.
Would an electric van be cheaper weekly? Often yes on “fuel”, but it depends on your charging access and electricity tariff; grants and rules can change year to year, so check current OZEV guidance on Gov.uk.
