You may be attached to your old car - it's done you proud over the years and still manages to get you from A to B. But how much is it really costing you?

It's easy to quickly think about insurance, your tax disc and fuel, but what about any breakdown cover you pay for, interest on a loan you might have used to pay for it, services, repairs, parking, any fines, maybe even renting a garage…there are loads of other extra payouts for your old car that really add up when you start to think about it. Your car goes down in value every time it's driven, so every mile you do, your car is costing you even more money.

So now we've got you wondering how much your car might really cost you… we can come to the rescue and help you to find out how much! Take a look at this clever little calculator we found on www.thisismoney.co.uk, just put in a bit of information about you and your car. It'll only take a few minutes and we bet you'll be shocked at how much it could be.

We filled out the calculator for an old, small car like a Ford Fiesta with just basic breakdown cover, a low insurance, doing average mileage. It calculated that a car like that would be costing its owner over £3,000 a year to run! And that's not even counting any parking fines, finance deals or any other 'extras'. That's a huge amount of cash that you could be paying out every year.

So how about this for a nice surprise, your old car could actually give you back a fair chunk of cash. How? By scrapping it, enjoy a payout that doesn't come from your wallet for a change!

It really is that simple. There are scrap car recycling centres all over the country ready to scrap your car for cash. Just make sure you choose an authorised, trustworthy company that guarantees your scrap car will be recycled properly. You don't want any oil down the drain or batteries ending up in ditches or even worse your old car ending up back on the road with a dodgy new owner. Choose a scrap car recycling company online who can offer you an instant price for your car and free collection. And make sure they can give you a DVLA Certificate of Destruction - you really need this to prove your car has been destroyed and isn't your responsibility any more.

So how about it, find out what your old car is really costing you and if it's more than you thought, think about the lovely wad of cash you could be getting when you scrap your car!

Authors Elizabeth Jacques & Rebecca Roddis

January 2012

Christmas is coming. Do you have the cash to pay for all those presents you promised from Santa, the feast your family is looking forward to on the day, or even the cost of all those Christmas parties. And what about the gym membership you'll need in January to burn off all the extra calories! Don't rely on credit when the answer could be sat outside your house…

Many of us scrimp and save at Christmas for all the extra costs the month entails, but there are only so many ways you can pull in the extra money. One thing you might not have thought of is the scrap metal on your property that is unused and currently worth nothing to you. Old washing machines, fridges, water tanks, garage doors, rusty BBQ's, metal framed furniture… you get the idea. Any of these items, which let's face it you need to get rid of anyway, could make you that extra bit of cash you need for Christmas. Don't just let your local scrap metal collector (you'll see their vans driving around the streets) collect your metal for free, stop them and negotiate a price, after all they are making their money from selling your belongings.

A much bigger source of scrap income would come from the sale of your old car. If you have a rusty vehicle cluttering your yard, or an old car that if you are honest is costing you more to run than its worth, you could be sat on a significant amount of cash. Money that could be going towards the best Christmas you have had in years.

The best advice we can give you is to choose a reputable scrap car company on the web that offers an instant 'best price' quote. A good company will operate nationwide, pick your car up for free, give you a DVLA Certificate of Destruction (that's the only document that will release you from liability), and use Environment Agency registered Authorised Treatment Facilities to ensure your vehicle is de-polluted and recycled to the highest standards, without harm to the environment.

By scrapping your old car responsibly you will get a tidy sum to pay for all that festive fun, and you can be sure your scrap car is being put to much better use than it was sat outside your house.

Happy Christmas to you and the environment!

Author - Elizabeth Jacques

December 2011

Taking an old, polluting car off the road should instantly be an environmentally friendly thing to do, but sadly that is not always the case.

While your old car may be polluting the atmosphere, if it is not scrapped in the right way, it could end up doing more damage to the environment through its disposal than it ever did on the road.

Older cars were built when environmental standards were much lower than they are today.  An old car's emissions consist of poisonous gases that drastically effect air quality and have serious consequences on our health, especially for those who suffer from asthma. However, as bad as all that sounds, if an unauthorised scrap yard is enlisted for its disposal, hazardous materials from the car may end up illegally dumped in landfill, or even down our drains. Consequently, causing much more harm than the car ever did when it was running.

To ensure you are doing the right thing for the environment when you make the positive move of scrapping your old car, make sure you choose a scrap car recycling centre that holds an Authorised Treatment Facility permit. This guarantees your scrap car will be treated legally, in line with the Government's 'End of Life Vehicle Regulations' and without any harm to the environment.

This special license can only be issued by the Environment Agency in England and Wales, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency in Scotland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland. The permit requires compliant businesses to invest substantially in concrete, hard-standing and sealed drainage systems, as well as in buildings and equipment, to protect the surrounding environment from the harmful substances that are present in scrap cars.

Under these tough new laws, cars have to be stripped of hazardous materials including oils, batteries and tyres. Only when cars have undergone this treatment process can the car shells be processed at metal recycling facilities.  It also means that while traditionally only the metal was recovered due to its value, now, in order to meet the higher recycling rates required by stricter regulations, glass and plastic materials are also separated for recycling rather than ending up as landfill.

Every stage of this recycling process is essential to ensure a truly environmentally responsible disposal of your car.

Unfortunately, despite the environmental agencies' best efforts to prosecute, and the threat of severe penalties, not all businesses abide by the law and many are still putting our environment at risk. There are unlicensed operators in existence throughout the UK who have not bothered to make the necessary investment but will readily accept scrap cars.  There could be one operating in your local area.

Make sure you trust the right people to take your car on its last journey and choose a scrap car recycling centre that is licensed by the environment agencies and will recycle your car to the highest standards. If you take just those few minutes to choose the right company, whether you have traded your transport for a reward, or you are walking round with a tidy sum for your old car, you can feel good that you have done your bit to help protect the environment.

Author - Elizabeth Jacques

November 2011

It is a now a legal requirement for all scrap cars to be issued with an official DVLA Certificate of Destruction when they reach the end of their useful life. Unless you have this document, you could face a fine, and you will never be sure what your old car is being used for now, or where its parts have ended up. More importantly, you will still be liable for it.

Dramatic as that may sound, the reality is frightening. Cloned number plates can end up in foreign countries, and even worse, cars returned to the road by unscrupulous operators can result in prosecution for previous owners when they are used for criminal activity.

When you scrap your car, the only document that will remove your car from the DVLA's database permanently and release you of liability is a DVLA Certificate of Destruction. Don't be fooled by a 'certificate of intent to destruct' or any other made-up title, or indeed a company offering to send your V5C registration document to DVLA for you. Be aware of imitations and make sure you get the real thing. There is an image of what the correct 'DVLA Certificate of Destruction' looks like at the end of this article, featuring the DVLA logo, take a good look.

It may seem obvious, but not only is it imperative to get the right certificate, it is also important to keep it in a safe place. You will always need proof that the vehicle has been destroyed and you are no longer responsible for it - you could find yourself liable for road tax with nothing to prove that the car has been scrapped.

Another reason to get the right document, if avoiding fines and possible prosecutions wasn't enough, is that the DVLA Certificate of Destruction can only be issued by approved Authorised Treatment Facilities. These are sites which have been licensed by the UK's Environment Agencies to de-pollute scrap cars to standards set by DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).  This is the only route that will ensure your car is recycled responsibly, and only these sites are permitted to issue last owners with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction.

Legal, professional and trustworthy car scrapping websites/services will issue you with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction using a secure online link to the DVLA's vehicle registration database.  The kind of company you want to be dealing with will be able to issue your certificate as soon as your car has arrived on site while you wait, or send it to you by e-mail or post to an address of your choice, if you have chosen to use their car collection service.

If you are planning on scrapping your car, save yourself the worry, look after the environment, protect your bank balance and even save yourself a criminal record… be sure the service you choose will issue you with a DVLA Certificate of Destruction.

Author - Elizabeth Jacques

November 2011

Scrapping a car can be a hard decision to make, you've had the beloved car for years and it's just not worth paying to run or repair it anymore. So once you've decided to go ahead with scrapping it you want to avoid any hassle and make sure you're getting the best value and that you're using a legal and trustworthy company to scrap it.

We all know that scrap dealers are notoriously known to barter over the price of scrap metal and you don't want that happening to you when you're scrapping your car. Make sure you know how much you're going to get for your car before you arrange for it to be scrapped. Your scrap car is worth something so don't just give it away!

Some companies will tell you that you should be suspicious of anyone willing to pay for your old car, when actually it's the other way around. In most cases trustworthy operators will pay you cash for your scrap car and even collect your car for free.

Now you know your old car is worth something, here's what else you need to look out for to avoid any hassle when you're scrapping a car.

Making sure you get a DVLA Certificate of Destruction is key, anything else just won't do! You need the real deal when it comes to this certificate; it ensures you are no longer responsible for the car and that it has been legally recycled. Without it you could be facing a fine from the DVLA.

As this certificate is vital you need to make sure whoever you decide on to recycle your car will issue you with this. Any imitations just won't do, you'll hear dodgy operators calling it a destruction certificate, disposal certificate, intent of destruction certificate and anything but the genuine name. The DVLA Certificate of Destruction will be issued when the car has been destroyed but you shouldn't need to wait long for it, some companies will even email it over to you within a couple of days.

Choosing a reputable and legal scrap car recycling operator is all important when scrapping your car. You don't want to end up with a hefty fine or missing out on some cash for that old car, or worse both! Mobile numbers from the local paper and dodgy websites aren't the way to go, choose an established reputable scrap car recycling centre and getting rid of that old car will be easy and hassle free.

Author - Rebecca Roddis

October 2011

Deciding to scrap your car can sometimes be a tough decision to make. Sometimes trying to sell it privately can be more hassle than it's worth in the long run and you could even end up losing money. Trying to keep the car running can be expensive, especially if the car needs repairs to keep it running.

Once you've made the choice to go ahead with scrapping your car though, you want to make sure you're doing it legally and that you're getting the best value for your old car. If you don't you could face fines and miss out on some cash! Here are my top tips to help you along the way when scrapping your old car;

1. Use a legal and responsible company;

• Avoid any unexpected fines from the DVLA for not getting your car de-registered properly at an authorised scrap car recycling centre. Don't trust dodgy operators who don't have the required licence to recycle cars.

2. Scrap the car in an environmentally friendly way;

• Don't send your scrap car to someone who doesn't treat it properly, you don't want any of the chemicals from the car being tipped down the drain and harming your environment.

3. Get the scrap car properly recycled;

• Government regulations state that all cars being scrapped should be recycled. 85% of a car can be recycled. Make sure your scrap car isn't broken into parts and sent to landfill rather than responsibly recycled.

4. Get your DVLA Certificate of Destruction;

• Also you don't want your scrap car to end up back on the road, so make sure you get your DVLA Certificate of Destruction, freeing you from ownership of the car and proof that your car has been recycled. Make sure you get the real deal because there are fakes out there!

5. Get your scrap car collected;

• If your car isn't taxed and insured then you need to make sure you arrange for scrap car collection so you aren't breaking the law by driving it, you could get in trouble with the police if you do drive it.

By making sure you follow my easy steps to scrapping your car you'll be abiding by the law, avoiding fines and there won't be any hassle around getting your scrap car recycled. You could even have a decent amount of money coming your way!

Author - Rebecca Roddis

October 2011

The chances are that you've heard plenty of stories in the news recently, about scrap metal being stolen. This is because when scrap metal prices are high, thieves will steal anything and everything made from metal if it isn't tied down. In fact, so far this year, we've seen metal theft increase by 70 percent across the UK.

Of course, you might be thinking that this won't affect you, but when you're train has been delayed for hours because the cables have been stolen, it soon becomes quite an inconvenience! In fact, over the past three years alone, cable theft from railway lines has resulted in 16,000 hours of delays.

And it's not just your train journey that can be affected. That old banger that once upon a time used to get you from A to B but now sits on your driveway rusting, might seem worthless to you but to a thief, it's a goldmine.

Unlike new cars with their sophisticated alarms and immobilisers, older cars tend to have poor security measures, which make them an easy target for thieves.

And if they can't get it started, some audacious crooks will even go as far as bringing tools so they can dismantle your old car on the drive way. That way they can select only the more valuable parts such as the catalytic convertor, leaving you to fork out for expensive replacement parts, if you ever needed to get it up and running again.

Not only does your old car take up valuable space, but there could already be an opportunist thief with his eye on it, planning to steal it and weigh it in as scrap. If you don't think that you'll ever get around to repairing it, look out of your window and if your old car is still there, why not consider getting it scrapped yourself?

Even if your car won't start, there are companies out there who'll collect your scrap car, tow it away to be recycled and issue a DVLA Certificate of Destruction to prove that you've done everything properly.

Don't let the cheeky crooks get the better of you. You should be the one cashing in on those high scrap metal prices, not them. So don't wait any longer and do something about it today. That old scrap car could be more valuable than you realised; you could be looking at a tidy sum!

Author - Rebecca Roddis

September 2011