The annual mileage you require will set your monthly rental. If you go beyond the contract mileage, you will pay an Excess Mileage charge

What is excess mileage on a lease contract?

One of the most asked about parts of the leasing process, from both personal and business customers, is what happens if you exceed the total contract mileage. To start at the beginning (so to speak) when you raise an enquiry with your credit broker (or finance company) you will supply an annual mileage to them so that they can create a quote. The minimum mileage on a contract hire arrangement is generally 5,000 miles per annum with a maximum mileage being circa 50,000 to 60,000 per annum. The mileage you select is directly linked to the price you pay per month for the vehicle, as the mileage influences the depreciation of the vehicle. The more mileage you require per annum, the more expensive your rental will be. One thing to note is that mileage is not checked every year, even though you are provided with an annual allowance. Mileage is only calculated at the end of the contract when the vehicle is collected.

What mileage should I select? When you are organising your next vehicle you need to accurately calculate your average monthly mileage based on commuting-distance, recreational use plus a tad spare for exceptional cases. If you multiply this figure by 12, you will then have an annual mileage to utilise for your contract. Do not select a mileage which is far too low for your requirements just because this reduces your monthly payment. This is not a prudent way to operate the contract and will create you issues at the contract cessation. Conversely, do not over-compensate the mileage. If you return a vehicle which is “under-mileage” you are not given a refund or some form of compensation. The contract you use is fixed and it is your responsibility to keep within the remit.

Can I change my contract mileage? Once you have taken delivery of the new vehicle and the contract has commenced, it will depend on the finance company as to whether or not you will be able to adjust the contract. In some cases, the finance company will allow you to amend the contract mileage once during the course of the transaction. To assist customers, we send a 12 month update, so that a customer reviews their mileage after 1 year in the car/van. If there is a big discrepancy between the contract mileage and their current mileage, if the finance company will allow it, we can ask them to amend the mileage. If you adjust the mileage, the monthly rental will adjust accordingly.

What happens if I return the vehicle over-mileage? At the end of the contract a collection agent from the finance company will appraise the car. One of the things they will note is the mileage on the vehicle. If the miles covered exceeds the contract mileage, the finance company will send you a bill. The amount you pay will depend on the excess mileage charges which were set out in your order form / finance documents shown as x pence per mile. If the excess mileage is 10 pence per mile and you cover 2,000 miles over the contract, then you will receive an excess mileage bill of £200. The only caveat to this, is that some finance companies operate tiered excess mileage where they will charge the excess mileage at one rate for the first 115% of the excess mileage but they will charge a higher rate for any mileage beyond the 115%.

To ensure you are being practical, when you are reviewing the quotations at the initial sales stage make sure you review the excess mileage as set out on the quotations / order. As noted, do not select a mileage which does not accurately reflect your circumstances, in particular if the mileage falls well below your actual requirements. Excess mileage is generally not negotiable and you will be expected to pay this in full at the end of the contract.