FINNING UK & Ireland has announced it is giving customers a ‘data-backed guarantee’ on the fuel consumption for new Cat machines.
With fuel often the largest operational expense and prices rising sharply, Finning explained that customers are looking closely at home to manage risk, improve predictability, and protect their operating margins.
The business first introduced its Fuel Promise on a limited basis in 2015, before expanding the programme in 2024. The initiative has taken on a renewed relevance as fuel costs have surged in response to recent global events.
Under the scheme, operators who purchase a new Cat machine with a Customer Value Agreement (CVA) are given a model-specific fuel consumption benchmark. If the machine exceeds that benchmark over three years or 6,000 hours, Finning reimburses them with credits that can be spent on Finning parts and service.
Every machine is connected through Product Link, which captures live fuel consumption data remotely through telemetry and tracks performance against the machine’s benchmark on a quarterly basis. Operators can monitor the levels through VisionLink and view expected benchmark, actual consumption, idle time, and any credit earned. They can also set engine idle alerts, or fuel loss, for their machines via VisionLink.
Tim Ballard, general manager: digital, technology & marketing at Finning UK and Ireland, said, “Fuel has always been the one of the biggest costs facing customers across the industries we serve. But right now, the situation is even more volatile.
“That combination puts real strain on margins and makes forward planning genuinely difficult. The Fuel Promise gives operators something concrete. It’s a guarantee they can take to their budget holders, backed by real data from the machine itself.
“If the machine uses more fuel than the benchmark, we reimburse them. That’s a commitment we can stand behind because we trust the engineering in Cat machines, and we trust the data.”
The programme is described as being particularly relevant for high-utilisation machines in quarrying, aggregates and infrastructure.
