About RealCost
RealCost is a UK cost-decision website built to help drivers understand the real cost of owning, running and using a car.
The aim is simple: help people calculate the cost, compare the options and avoid expensive mistakes.
Who’s behind RealCost
RealCost is built and maintained by Kevin Metcalfe, a UK-based IT professional who works day-to-day with real operational systems and data. RealCost started as a personal project after noticing how many car cost calculators use fixed assumptions that go stale within weeks of publishing — so wherever a real, current UK figure exists, RealCost pulls it in directly instead of asking you to trust a number that was typed in once and forgotten.
RealCost is an independent, one-person build. It isn’t owned by an insurer, lender or comparison network.
Why RealCost exists
Car costs are often misunderstood because people focus on the obvious price first. A car might look affordable because the monthly payment is low, the fuel economy looks good, or the purchase price seems cheap.
But the real cost can include insurance, fuel or EV charging, road tax, servicing, MOT, tyres, repairs, parking, finance interest and depreciation.
RealCost exists to make those costs easier to see before a decision is made.
What RealCost focuses on
RealCost is focused on practical UK car cost decisions, including:
- Car ownership costs
- Fuel cost per mile
- Trip and commute costs
- Electric vs petrol running costs
- EV charging costs
- Insurance budgeting
- Maintenance and repair planning
- Depreciation and used-car decisions
- Road tax and yearly running costs
The site is not a general calculator directory. The focus is UK car cost decisions and helping users understand the financial trade-offs behind them.
Real government data, not static guesses
Most car cost calculators use fixed assumptions that go stale the moment fuel prices move or tax rules change. Where possible, RealCost pulls its numbers directly from official UK data sources instead, updated automatically rather than typed in once and forgotten:
- Live fuel prices — petrol and diesel prices are fetched hourly from the UK Government’s official Fuel Finder data feed, averaged across thousands of UK forecourts.
- Real road tax — the Road Tax Calculator uses the actual DVLA Vehicle Excise Duty rate tables, calculated from your car’s CO₂ emissions, fuel type and registration date — not a rate you need to already know.
- Current HMRC mileage rates — the Mileage Rate Calculator uses HMRC’s current Approved Mileage Allowance Payment rates, including the 2026/27 increase to 55p per mile.
Where a number is genuinely personal — your mileage, your MPG, your insurance quote — you still enter it yourself. But wherever a real, official UK figure exists, RealCost uses it instead of asking you to guess.
How the calculators should be used
RealCost calculators are free to use and are designed to give practical estimates, not exact quotes.
The results depend on the numbers entered by the user, such as mileage, MPG, fuel price, electricity price, insurance cost, maintenance allowance or estimated resale value.
The calculators are best used as decision tools. They help compare options, test assumptions and spot costs that are easy to miss.
Important disclaimer
RealCost does not provide financial advice, insurance advice, tax advice or vehicle buying advice tailored to your personal circumstances.
Calculator results and guides are provided for general information and planning only. Actual costs can vary depending on your vehicle, location, driving style, insurance profile, fuel prices, charging prices, tax rules, repair costs and market conditions.
Before making a major financial decision, always check the exact figures that apply to your situation.
Commercial links
Some pages may include affiliate links, sponsored links or advertising now or in the future.
RealCost’s aim is to keep guidance calculator-led and decision-led. Commercial links should support relevant user decisions, such as insurance, breakdown cover, servicing, tyres, used-car checks or EV charging, without changing the purpose of the page.
Contact and privacy
You can contact RealCost through the Contact page.
You can also read how information may be collected and used on the Privacy Policy page.