Treat the inside to some TLC. Get rid of all those old receipts, car park tickets and coffee cups accumulated over recent months, put all those loose CDs back in their cases and wipe over the dashboard area to remove any dust.
Give the carpets, including the car mats and underneath them, a good vacuum to remove the multitude of crumbs and dirt likely to be lurking, and if you have children, who knows what you may find hiding, undiscovered for months!
Don't forget to vacuum the car seats too. If you have a dog, they may be your best friend but others might not feel the same when faced with a car seat covered in pet hair.
Whilst the vacuum is out, don't forget to clean the boot as any muddy wellies or football boots are sure to have left a trail of destruction behind them. Swap out any 'winter' items in your boot for optimistic summer necessities like a picnic blanket.
Clean the windows – both inside and out - to get rid of unwanted grime and finger prints from backseat condensation artists.
Valero has recently added a further three new sites to the Texaco brand growing their site numbers in Northern Ireland by over 30% in the last 12 months and further strengthening the company's position in the region.
Having brought DCC's fuel terminal in Belfast to strengthen their supply position in 2018 Valero has been able to offer a more flexible and competitive service for the region's fuel retailers. This has been supported by the appointment of a new sales manager, Samantha Passi to oversee the development of Texaco and reinforce Valero's commitment to Northern Ireland.
Samantha Passi, who joined the Valero team in February 2019 said, "My aim when I started, was to show retailers how committed Valero is to the region and how we want to work with retailers to help them deliver a reliable and more competitive service for their customers. I'm thoroughly pleased we've been able to achieve this and it's fantastic so many retailers have switched over to the Texaco brand. "
One of the latest sites to sign up with Texaco is Hendersons Seagoe Filling Station in Portadown, County Armagh. Owned by Henderson Retail, one of Northern Ireland's largest independent fuel site operators, the filling station used to be under the BP brand for a number of years. Henderson Retail have sold Texaco fuel at their Saintfield Road site in nearby Lisburn since 2014.
Ron Whitten Chief Financial Officer, Henderson Group, said, "Texaco is a trusted fuel brand known for its high quality and performance, and what Valero could offer us in terms of fuel supply reliability and their support team meant switching to the Texaco brand would help us to maximise our site performance."
Also new to the Texaco brand is the Woods Supermarket Ltd owned sites, Tandragee Service Station and Dobbin Road Service Station, both in County Armagh and both previously Topaz branded.
We wanted to offer our customers a strong forecourt image and a rewarding loyalty programme, owner Philip Woods said.
We have a long standing relationship with Valero as one of our other sites, Fruitfield Service Station, is already under the Texaco brand. We have been very pleased with how the business has developed over the years and the commitment they are showing to the Texaco brand in the region. This was the obvious fuel brand of choice for our sites.
The increase in sites shows that Northern Ireland retailers see Valero as their preferred supplier.
A casual call to confirm a volunteering date ended up with a request for something quite different and with rather more responsibility than usual for some of our Canary Wharf employees.
In a routine call to Dawn Pedder, Volunteer Manager, of the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), London VVC Chair Dawn McMaster was asked, "You don't do any marshalling at Valero do you? We are still looking for a few more volunteers for a Royal visit next week and can you help?"
With eight days' notice, McMaster assembled a crack team of volunteers for an unknown project with an unnamed Royal. A quick Google search turned up that the event in Kent was an official opening and the woman with the scissors was Her Majesty The Queen.
So seven volunteers went to the Royal British Legion Industries Village near Aylesford, Kent, on 6 November with no idea of what their country expected of them.
The village provides accommodation and employment for veterans and their families and even has a factory that makes road signs. As part of the RBLI centenary celebrations, The Queen was to officially open Appleton Lodge, an extra-care facility with 15 suites, named after the First World War nurse Edith Appleton.
PetrolWe didn't know what we were expected to do, but most of us were posted in the area where The Queen got out of her car to open the lodge.
There was a briefing in the morning that included code words so volunteers could understand any sudden issues without alarming those present. "We felt part of the security team and helped alert the services to someone that no one recognised."
Valero volunteers with the RBLI regularly and McMaster believes that this will strengthen the company's relationship with the charity.
We were happy to step up at such short notice. Having marshalled before, we know how to be coordinated in a team. We had an idea of what would be expected and how to liaise with each other and the charity organisers. It made us feel worthy to be there.
The RBLI's Pedder was pleased with the Valero contribution to the Queen's visit. "I want to send a massive thank you to you and your colleagues for your fantastic help. You were an immense help with keeping the crowds contained and happy and also being our eyes and ears."
Valero Energy Ltd has won a new long-term agreement to supply 115 Co-op petrol filling stations. The contract extension includes the supply of fuel to 31 new-look Co-op branded locations from mid-2020.
Valero - which has worked with Co-op since 2005 - will manage the supply of fuel to Co-op forecourts through auto-replenishment, with fuel being supplied via Valero's Pembroke Refinery and its network of terminals across the UK.
Andrew Cox, Valero's director of sales and marketing, said, "We're thrilled to announce the extension of our agreement with Co-op, which confirms Valero as the retailer's principal fuel supplier. We've worked very successfully together for many years and we're very excited about this new phase of our relationship. Valero can be relied upon to support Co-op's forecourts with quality fuels, security of supply and an industry leading delivery service."
Eddie Jenkinson, national fuels manager, Co-op, said, "We're pleased to build on our relationship with Valero. Petrol filling stations are at the heart of local life, a community hub for fuel and food needs, and a strong, long-term partnership is key to delivering what our Members and customers want and need, conveniently. The Co-op is also committed to creating value in its communities, and contributing to local life, and so we look forward to working with Valero on a number of charitable and volunteering projects which will make a difference locally."
It's been a busy year for Valero, who market in the UK fuel under the Texaco brand, and its volunteers. From bake-offs to bulb planting, car washing to cycling, many Valero employees have given back to the community in 2019, supporting and raising funds for numerous charities along the way.
For many years, the company has relied on its apprentice and bursary schemes to train and retain new entrants to the refining sector. Eleven undergraduates took part in the Welsh refinery's 2018/19 scheme, which provides an opportunity to earn money while putting academic skills into practice. Among them were third-year students Ben Simpson, Benedikt Weber and Cendy Lim, and second-year student Nancy John.
Simpson, Weber and John are part of the Valero bursary scheme, which provides engineering students from Pembrokeshire with £1,000 a term during their time at university, a year-long paid work placement and paid summer employment.
It's been really enjoyable and educational, said Weber, aged 22. "It's an excellent place to get that first bit of real industrial experience. You're not just stuck behind a desk, you're actually doing work that benefits the refinery so you get a sense of accomplishment."
John saw the bursary scheme advertised in the local paper and decided to apply. She has been working with the refinery's environmental team. "Working here is fab, it's very interesting and there's so much to learn about how the refinery works and everything fits together," she said.
I've got to see so much, and learned so much about different aspects of the business. Everyone is capable of doing engineering; the world is changing and it doesn't matter if you're male or female, there's a field for everyone.
Simpson, also aged 22, said: "My favourite part has been the team spirit. I have always been interested in the petrochemical industry and this experience has proved I do want to pursue it as a career."
Originally from Malaysia, 23-year-old Lim was one of seven UK undergraduates completing a work placement alongside their degrees. "For me the best part has been the chance to apply knowledge I learned at university and get hands-on experience," she said. "By being here you get a better picture of how things work together."
Public Affairs Manager Stephen Thornton said, "For us, it's about finding good quality people, training them, rewarding them and ultimately retaining them."
We invest in students in the hope they'll come back to us once they've finished their studies. We like to grow our own future engineers and in return we offer the potential for great personal growth and career.
He added, "Our bursary scheme is particularly important in helping nurture and retain local talent, and in demonstrating that Pembrokeshire's young people can pursue a rewarding career right on their doorstep."
Two more service stations have switched to the Texaco brand, having both previously sold fuel under the BP brand for a number of years. Belsize Service Station in Lisburn, County Antrim, switched over to the Texaco brand this month and Lagmore Service Station in Dunmurry, Belfast, will be switching over at the end of this year.
The owners of the sites, Henry and Michael Curran, moved over to Texaco due to the strength of the Texaco brand in Northern Ireland, next day fuel deliveries and the competitive fuel package offering.
Henry Curran said, "When we made the decision to switch we wanted a supplier that could offer not just a strong brand, but also an excellent service and security of supply. It's important that our customers can depend on us to meet their fuel needs. A reliable supply network was one of our main criteria for joining and we are reassured that Texaco can offer a 24 hour fuel delivery service."
He went on to say, "We have a strong relationship with Samantha Passi, our area manager, and her ongoing support was also a key factor in our decision to sign with Valero. Valero was the winning package for us in the end and we had no hesitation signing with them."
Both the Curran's sites are well located along main routes, around a 10 mile radius from Belfast city center. The sites stock all four grades of fuel including Supreme Diesel and Supreme Unleaded and also offer customers a supermarket, deli, jet wash and onsite parking. Lagmore Service Station (4000 sq feet), the larger of the two sites, has a post office as well.
Andrew Cox, Valero's director sales and marketing, said, "We are delighted that Curran's have chosen Texaco to supply fuel at both of their sites. We understand that switching to a new brand is a big decision and it's fantastic that Texaco ticked all the boxes for Henry and Michael when they were looking to switch. We've had lots of success in Northern Ireland lately and I hope to see site numbers continue to grow further in the region."
The Curran's sites are a family-owned business that have been involved in retail for 32 years. They owned a small Costcutter business in the1980's and over the years have grown and developed the business to the two sites they own today. The sites will benefit from receiving their fuel directly from the nearby fuel storage terminal in Belfast.
With the holiday season upon us, many will be heading off on long car journeys.
Check out our handy hints on how to make your fuel go further!
Petrol near meKeep your car well serviced and check the oil level regularly. Correctly maintained cars can operate more efficiently and help reduce CO2 emissions.
Check your tyre pressure every month. Under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 4%*.
Remove unnecessary weight from your boot or back seats. The heavier the car, the harder the engine has to work and the more fuel it consumes.
Close your windows, especially at higher speeds and remove empty roof racks. This will reduce wind resistance and can lower your fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10%**.
Use air conditioning only when necessary. Unnecessary use increases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%**.
Start driving soon after starting the engine and turn off the engine when stationary for more than one minute. Modern engines enable you to just get in and go, thus reducing fuel consumption.
Drive at reasonable speeds and above all, drive smoothly. Every time you accelerate or brake suddenly, your engine uses more fuel and produces more CO2.
When accelerating, change up gears as early as possible. Higher gears are more economical in terms of fuel consumption**.
Try to anticipate traffic flow. Look at the traffic as far ahead as possible in order to avoid unnecessary stopping and starting within the flow of traffic.
Consider car sharing for work or leisure. You will help reduce congestion and fuel consumption.
