What does it cost to use Hour Car?

Initial Costs

• Your one-off joining fee of £25 (which covers the cost of your insurance approval and your security key to the vehicle keysafe) and annual membership of £100 (or £10 per month).

  Family membership - some families may have need for more than one driver - the first member pays the full membership fee (£100) with a reduced fee for an additional driver of £50. This would be subject to normal enrolment rules covering age, penalty points, etc.

  Business/Organisation membership - The organisation pays an initial membership fee of £100 with an administration fee (please contact us for further information) for each additional named driver. Each driver would be subject to normal enrolment rules covering age, penalty points, etc.

Booking Costs

• The hire charge with the first three hours of any booking is charged at £2.50 an hour. All additional hours (except between 11pm and 8am - see below) are charged at only £1.50 an hour. The minimum hire period is 30 minutes.

  (There is no hire charge for using a vehicle between 11pm and 8am, provided you have paid for at least three hours worth of bookings in that calendar month for each booking in that time.)

The Xsara's hire charge is cheeper for short trips only at £1.50/hour. If a trip is more than 3 hours it reverts to the usual hire costs, shown above. Thus 3 hours will cost £4.50 (3 x £1.50) but 4 hours will cost £9.00 (3 x £2.50 + 1 x £1.50)

• You are also charged for the amount of fuel you use at cost. This is currently about 12p for each mile (but 17p a mile for the Berlingo) or part of a mile covered but will change to reflect current fuel prices.

  The vehicle will be regularly filled with bio-diesel. However if the fuel gauge falls below ¼ full you are responsible for refuelling the vehicle. We are hoping to introduce fuel payment cards in the long term, meantime just fill the vehicle up at any station with normal or 'greener' diesel. The fuels mix safely in the tank.

  In the event of refuelling, you are required to obtain a VAT Receipt (a debit/credit card receipt is NOT the same as a VAT Receipt and cannot be accepted to reclaim the cost of the fuel) and hand it over with your End Journey Sheet at the end of your hire. (If the member provides a VAT receipt, an adjustment for the cost of the fuel added will be made in their monthly account). You will be billed for fuel as normal but the full cost of the fuel you purchased will then be deducted from the total.

Insurance Excesses

• Accidents

  All members have fully comprehensive insurance cover for the value of the vehicle, value of other vehicles or property up to £5 million as well as unlimited cover for death and injury to passengers or other parties.

  However, in the event that an accident is later proved to be the fault of the member the following insurance excesses are considered the members' responsibility:

  All members: £100
• Theft of unsecured vehicle — £1,000
• Windscreen/Window replacement — £100 if using scheme authorised fitters otherwise as above.

Penalties

• Late Returns:

  £5 fine

  Up to £50 to cover any out of pocket expenses of the next user.

• Incorrectly filled Logsheet at Start or End of Journey:

  £5 fine

• Lost Keysafe or Vehicle Key

  £20 per key.

• Returning an Untidy Vehicle

  £5 or cost of valeting, whichever is the greater.

• Parking and Speeding fines

  Any fines (parking, speeding or congestion charges) incurred in connection with the vehicle are the responsibility of the member.

  In the event that a fine or charge is contested by you, a member may apply to Hour Car for access to the GPS records for that hire to show location and/or speed at the stated time. (Note: conditions apply)

• Wheel Clamp/ Towing Fee

  Members will be responsible for all costs resulting from a vehicle being towed away or clamped including any late return penalties incurred as a result.

How can I further reduce my costs?

• Volunteer

  Volunteers are important to the scheme. Volunteers are required to help provide out-of-hours telephone cover (using call forwarding), basic vehicle checks and cleaning, accessory fitting, and some administrational duties. Training would be provided.

  In recognition of a volunteer's time you will be given credit to be set against vehicle usage (good member bonuses), the amount paid will be agreed on an annual basis by the Hour Car management committee.

• Be a Good and Considerate Driver

  Drivers who consistently return vehicles on time in a good, clean condition, without damage etc. will also qualify for a 'good member bonus' - a point system which will reward them with additional credits towards future bookings. The amount of bonus paid and qualifying conditions will be agreed on an annual basis by the Hour Car management committee.

• Ride Share

  Members willing to participate in ridesharing (either using scheme vehicles or you can register your own car with the free scheme). Drivers and potential passengers would be linked up online. While guidelines as to costs will be provided, members decide actual charges for a journey between themselves.

  Once the cost had been agreed, the passengers sign a credit slip detailing their member ID, date of trip and vehicle ID and the amount to be credited to the Drivers' account (which is added to the passengers' monthly invoice while the same amount is deducted from the drivers' invoice). The slip(s) are 'posted' by the driver along with the End Journey Sheet to the Hour Car office when the vehicle is returned where they will be entered into the account program and be added to the monthly accounts.

Invoicing

• Every month, your members invoice will be generated.

  Records downloaded every month from the online booking system will show every member's actual bookings, vehicles used and number of hours each member had booked. Start and End Journey member reports will show mileage travelled and we will then send you an invoice including details of your members credit account (comprising Rideshare transactions, volunteering and good member bonuses) so that can be added or deducted from your monthly membership cost.

  In the event of a direct debit, this invoice will be sent to you monthly and the amount (including monthly membership fee if appropriate) is deducted. In the event of no direct debit, the member will have a period of 14 days to pay.