How much fuel does a narrowboat use?

In the UK, the typical fuel consumption of a canal boat is around 1 litre per hour of cruising. Narrowboat fuel tanks can typically hold 200 litres of fuel – however, this varies from boat to boat, depending on size of the narrowboat and more factors. Learn more about the different types of narrowboats you can hire.

Narrowboat fuel costs

The fuel costs you’re likely to spend on your canal boat depend largely on usage. For a living canal boat, this depends on whether you’re using your canal for living on, moored up in one specific marina on a mostly permanent basis, or whether you use your canal boat to travel around the UK waterways. A lot of canal boat owners use their canal boat for their permanent residence, meaning that their fuel costs are typically quite low. Learn more about the difference between living on a canal boat vs hiring a canal boat from our detailed guide.

Canal boat holiday fuel prices

As part of your canal boat holiday with ABC Boat Hire, your canal boat will be fuelled – ready for your adventure on the waterways. There will be a small fuel deposit which is payable with your holiday booking – this is £90 per week, or £50 for a short break, and is not included with the hire cost.

When you return your narrowboat back to us after your relaxing cruise along the British Waterways, the balance you have paid for your deposit is refundable after deducting the fuel that has been used during the trip. However, it’s important to note that if you have used fuel in excess of the deposit, you will be then asked to pay the difference.

Ready to book your next canal boat holiday? Get in touch with a member of our expert team here at ABC Boat Hire – or familiarise yourself with our selection of canal boat holiday locations.