Tips to help you save on fuel
Changing your driving habits could help you save fuel.
It seems that the days of carefree motoring may be over. Yet a few simple changes in driving habits could make sure that driving your car is as cheap as possible.
By paying attention to how you drive your car, you could save yourself some money. It sounds straightforward, but the best way to keep fuel costs down is to make sure you are filling up at the cheapest petrol station in your area.
Also, the lighter the load of your car, the lower the fuel consumption and the higher the fuel efficiency.
Here are some tips on how to keep your car light:
- Carry a light load – the heavier your car the more effort is needed to accelerate. Empty out your boot and only take with you what you need for the journey.
- Remove roof racks – your engine has to work harder with roof racks as they add wind resistance to the car. Only put your roof racks on your car when you are going to use them.
- Don't fill your fuel tank – by having a full tank of fuel, you are adding quite a lot of weight to the car. Your tank should never be more than three quarters full. This means filling up more regularly but it will make your car run more efficiently. If you do want to fill the tank, stop filling when the petrol nozzle ‘clunks' as this means you are full.
The way you drive your car can also have an impact on the amount of petrol you use, so here are some driving tips:
- Don't over-rev – when you press hard on the accelerator more fuel flows through the engine. You can get to the same speed using less power by speeding up smoothly. Staying under 3,000 revolutions is also recommended.
- Use the correct gear – drive in the highest gear possible to avoid straining the engine. Change before reaching 2500 revolutions per minute (rpm) when driving a petrol engine or 2000 rpm for diesel engine.
- Slow naturally – Don't break all the time; let your car slow naturally. By removing pressure from the accelerator, the engine itself acts as a brake. Avoid heavy breaking to reduce both fuel consumption and wear and tear on your car.
- Smoother journey – be alert and anticipate the conditions ahead of you. This will allow you to accelerate and slow down gradually.
Some other tips for you:
- Turn off your air-conditioning – an incredible amount of fuel is used by air-conditioning. Turn it off unless you really need it. However, on an open road, rolling down windows increases the wind resistance dramatically so in this case it would be best to use your air-conditioning but be careful not to overuse it.
- Correctly inflate your tyres – under-inflated tyres increases the drag on your car which wastes fuel and decreases fuel efficiency so regularly check that the pressures are correct. Refer to you car's user manual or speak to your local garage to find out what the suggested tyre pressure for your car is.
By following all these tips you should be able to save on fuel. But also try to plan all your journeys in a single trip and avoid heavy traffic if possible.
If you decide to buy a new car you can check the fuel economy of new cars before making a decision on what car to buy. Go to www.direct.gov.uk to check the fuel economy.
The cheapest option would of course be to leave your car at home, but sometimes driving is the only option. A cold engine uses more fuel so where possible don't use your car for short trips but walk, cycle or catch a bus. It's a cheap alternative and it's a good way to get some free exercise!
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