New national research has found commuters can save around £1,000 per year by catching the bus instead of travelling to work by car - despite falling fuel prices at the pumps.

Bus travel costs are around 55% cheaper than the same commute by car, saving passengers an average of more than £90 a month, according to the study.

The savings - even with fuel prices being at their lowest levels for six years - would be enough to cover the entire annual energy costs for a medium-sized house*.

Research by Stagecoach, Britain's biggest bus and coach operator, covered around 35 key commuter routes in England, Scotland and Wales. It compared the weekly price of hopping on the bus with the cost of fuel and car parking for the same journeys.

The study found:

• The biggest savings were in the East of England where bus passengers travelling between St Ives and Cambridge were 83% better off, saving more than £5,500 a year compared to motorists.

• In the North-east of England, taking the bus between South Shields and Newcastle was up to £1,100 per year cheaper than driving

• Commuters in Merseyside travelling between Heswall and Liverpool could save more than £1,200 a year month by switching to bus travel

• In Greater Manchester, bus users travelling between Reddish and Manchester could be more than £460 a year better off.

• South West commuters travelling between Torquay and Exeter could save more than £1,000 a year by leaving the car at home and taking the bus.

• In the South of England, bus travel between Worthing and Brighton was found to be more than £2,000 cheaper than going by car

• In Scotland taking the bus between Peterhead and Aberdeen instead of driving was around £1,600 a year cheaper

• Commuters in Wales who travel between Merthyr and Cardiff could save around £1,400 a year by switching to bus travel

Robert Montgomery, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “Fuel prices are at their lowest level for six years, but it is still miles cheaper to commute to work by bus for many people up and down the country.

"The average savings would pay a big chunk of people's annual energy bills and for some it would fund the cost of a family holiday for a week in the sun in Florida.

"It's also easier than ever before to catch the bus, with smart ticketing, bus tracking available via your smartphone and free wi-fi on many of our new buses."

Stagecoach works with other major public transport groups in the UK, as well as campaign group Greener Journeys and local authorities to attract more people out of their cars and on to public transport to reduce pollution and congestion in the UK’s towns and cities.

The company is currently offering Dayrider** tickets – which provide unlimited travel within a specific local area – for just £2 to passengers aged under 19 in a special promotion. Stagecoach is also the only bus operator to offer a nationwide discount for jobseekers, giving those with a JobCentre Plus travel card a 50% discount on their bus travel to help them find employment.

Stagecoach has invested more than £630million over the past eight years in brand new buses and coaches for local communities.

Further information on Stagecoach UK Bus services visit www.stagecoachbus.com