The future of forecourt maintenance is green. That's the opinion of Steve Martin, managing director at Xmo Strata, who says fuel retailers are increasingly using their maintenance budget to try to reduce their carbon footprint. This trend can involve anything from fitting energy-saving lights on the forecourt to simply putting doors back onto chillers.

The credit crunch means everybody's cutting costs - poring over their accounts to see where savings can be made. Maintenance and service contracts could jump out as areas where money could be saved, however saving a few hundred pounds on a contract could cost you far more if something goes wrong.

When it comes to forecourts, first impressions are everything. If a motorist approaches your site and it looks shabby, they're likely to drive on to the next one. So forecourt maintenance should be top of the list for retailers in today's highly competitive market.

As margins on fuel are driven further down, and the forecourt sector becomes increasingly competitive, operators are always looking for ways to cut costs - and maintenance is often the first casualty.

First impressions count in most walks of life and in the forecourt business it's no different. A regular wash and brush-up and a regular lick of paint are basic, but essential, maintenance tasks, which will reassure passing motorists that you are a well-run business worth stopping for.

Most motorists wouldn’t go a year without a service on their car, but many retailers are failing to show the same care and consideration for their business. Instead of protecting their investment and committing to preventative maintenance of vital equipment, retailers – particularly independents – are waiting until something goes wrong before having their assets serviced, according to forecourt service providers.

Although keeping your site in full working order has to be at the top of your list of priorities, important maintenance is being neglected by many retailers, according to equipment and maintenance companies.

Maintenance is a crucial, but often neglected, part of running a forecourt site. Maintaining the equipment on your site can seem like a tedious chore and it is difficult to quantify the effect that it has on your business, but ignoring day-to-day maintenance can have long-term damaging effects.