Fuel Cost Tracker

Who this is for

A fuel log that does the division. Record the date, the odometer, the litres or gallons and what you paid, and it works out the distance since the last fill, the cost per unit of distance and the consumption for that tank.

Anyone paying for their own fuel who wants to know what a journey really costs — commuters, self-employed drivers, and households comparing two vehicles.

What this helps you track

• Cost per kilometre or mile, from the fill-ups you actually made
• Consumption per tank and across the whole log
• Total spend on fuel for the period on the sheet
• Distance covered between fills, which is the figure a service schedule needs

How to use it

1. Write the vehicle and the units you use — km or miles, litres or gallons — at the top.
2. Fill the tank right up each time, so the amount you put in equals the amount you used.
3. Record the date, the odometer reading, the quantity and the total paid.
4. The browser and spreadsheet versions calculate the rest; on paper, divide cost by distance at the end of the page.
5. Compare the cost per distance across months, or across two vehicles on two sheets.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why does it ask for a full tank each time?

Because the quantity you put in only equals the quantity you used if the tank was full before and full after. Partial fills still record what you spent, but the consumption figure for that row will be wrong.

Does it work in miles and gallons?

Yes. It calculates in whatever units you write down. Cost per distance and consumption are ratios, so as long as you are consistent on one sheet the arithmetic is the same.

Can I claim fuel costs from this?

It gives you the figures. Whether and how you can claim depends on your tax authority, your employer and the purpose of the journey, and none of that is on the sheet — pair it with the mileage log if you need journeys recorded as well.

Why is the first row's cost per distance blank?

There is no previous odometer reading to measure from. Every row after the first works from the reading above it.