For many employees, driving is an essential part of both work and everyday life. It’s how shift workers get to early starts, how parents fit in school runs before the office and how employees reach client meetings on time.
As of March 2026, UK inflation has risen to 3.3%. This is largely due to increasing petrol prices linked to ongoing global conflicts, putting extra financial strain on car-dependent employees with no easy switch to reduce commuting costs.
While employers can’t improve fuel prices, they can offer practical relief in the form of fuel discounts and rewards programmes to reduce payments at the pump.
See how an employee discounts scheme can help reduce everyday costs for your people
How rising petrol prices are putting pressure on employees
When petrol prices spike, commuting to work takes up a larger slice of household budgets. These unavoidable costs can quickly become unpredictable as prices fluctuate weekly or even daily.
This anxiety isn’t left in the car park; it can show up in the workplace as fatigue, distraction and increased stress. Over time, these pressures could steer employees towards considering other companies that promise better support or shorter journeys.
Rising pump prices aren’t just a personal finance issue, they’re also a wellbeing and productivity concern that employers can’t afford to ignore.
How do discount schemes deliver ROI?
Use the Reward Gateway | Edenred ROI Calculator to see how your engagement programmes can reduce absenteeism and employee turnover while boosting productivity.
Discover how much your company could save with quantifiable data.
How discounts and rewards can offer relief from rising fuel prices
Reward schemes transform recognition into tangible, practical support for employees.
A small discount every time an employee buys their daily essentials is a lot more meaningful than occasional perks such as one-off vouchers to niche retailers or staff giveaways.
Discounted e-gift cards or reward programmes that reduce every day costs begin to offset rising fuel costs and ease financial pressure immediately.
Alongside discount-related benefits, schemes like cashback, vouchers or flexible reward options that cover a wider range of spending can help to alleviate broader financial pressures.
Choosing a programme that employees will actually use
The success of any discounts and rewards initiative is defined by its usage. Even the most generous schemes will have limited engagement if there’s no real employee demand.
The best employee benefits are practical, transparent and easy to use.
Employers should prioritise initiatives that can seamlessly fit into daily life, especially for essential costs like fuel or food shopping.
As everyone shops and spends differently, employee discount programmes that can be tailored to individual preferences drive broader uptake across the workforce.
Ease of use is also critical. If employees have to navigate complicated systems or wait for company approvals, engagement will suffer.
The most effective schemes are easy to access and frictionless; for example, a mobile app that shows eligible fuel brands, real‑time offers and simple redemption steps.
Stored fuel cards, reloadable vouchers and automatic cashback will outperform benefits that require printing or manual code entry.
How to successfully launch and sustain your rewards programme
Internal communication is key to launching and managing a successful rewards or discount programme.
Before launch, survey employees to understand where they typically fill up, how much they spend and what they want from the scheme.
Once the programme is live, use engagement and usage data to identify which offers are performing well and which are being overlooked, allowing you to refine the programme to better meet employee needs.
To sustain momentum, use timely reminders before paydays, holidays or when new offers become available.
Want to learn more about offering cost-of-living relief to your employees? Access our Cost of Living Resource Hub for a range of free, helpful resources.
How Reward Gateway can support your employees and business
Our discount programmes give employees access to savings and cashback from 900+ top retailers, with options that can be tailored to individual needs for effortless everyday savings.
Explore our Employee Discounts Scheme
To learn more about our Engagement Operating System and how it can support your employees during times of uncertainty and change, schedule a free consultation with one of our experts.
Talk to an engagement consultant
