10 Top Fuel Saving Tips

Wi
th the numbers on petrol price boards across the country edging ever higher, and the proposed fuel duty announcements to be made in the chancellor’s budgets this week, the cost of motoring is at an all-time high.

Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM motoring assist have come up with 10 top tips to make your tank go further.

 

1. Get it Checked:

Get your car serviced regularly by a recognised garage. Modern day engines are complicated pieces of machinery which need to be well maintained. The costs spent here in the short term are easily recouped in the long term.

2. ‘Tread Carefully’:

Check your tyres at least once a month to ensure they are inflated to the correct pressure. Even tyres which are only slightly under inflated can noticeably increase fuel costs. Check the pressure when the tyres are still warm after a short drive, cold tyres can give a false low pressure reading.

3. Lose Weight:

Carrying unnecessary weight reduces efficiency. Remove all unnecessary weight such as golf clubs, push chairs, tool boxes etc. when they are not needed. Also remove roof racks, cycle racks, storage boxes etc. when they are not being used as they affect the aerodynamics.

4. Hot & Cold:

Try not to waste fuel by warming the car before a journey. A warm engine is however, more efficient than a cold one, where possible try and carry out all your trips in succession so that the engine does not get cold between stops.

5. Plan Ahead:

Take time to plan your journeys to avoid congestion. Ensure you know exactly where you are going, getting lost can be a very costly error in terms of wasted fuel. Finally plan your day’s trips so that you avoid unnecessary duplication of the same journey.

6. Slow Down:

Reducing your average speed by just a few MPH can have noticeable effect on your fuel consumption and your wallet. Driving at 70 MPH uses 9% more fuel than driving at 60 MPH.

Cruising at 80 MPH (a recent suggestion to raise the motorway limit) uses a staggering 25% more fuel than driving at 70 MPH.

7. Nice and Easy does it:

The majority of drivers could save a significant amount of fuel by reading the road that lies ahead, slowing earlier for traffic lights etc., thus avoiding unnecessary acceleration, heavy braking and then acceleration while pulling away again.

If you are stationary for more than a couple of minutes in a hold up, switch off the engine to save fuel. Modern cars use virtually no extra fuel when they are re-started without pressing the accelerator.

Possibly the best fuel efficient tip is to drive more ‘gently,’ avoiding harsh acceleration and using the gearbox to gain a higher gear more quickly. Where possible change up before reaching 2,500 rpm (petrol) 2,000 rpm (diesel).

Most newer cars have a fuel consumption monitor, normally displayed in mpg which constantly monitors driving efficiency. Try to improve the figure shown on every journey. It can become quite addictive to try and increase the mpg shown.

8. Keep Your Cool:

Most modern cars are fitted with air conditioning. To reduce demand on the engine, switch the air conditioning off when it is not required. However, Harmful bacteria can build up if the air conditioning is left off for long periods of time, which can be costly to repair. To avoid this ensure the system is used for several minutes at least every couple of weeks.

Although opening the windows may reduce the need  to use air conditioning, it can prove to be counter-productive when driving at fast speeds, as it increases the ‘drag’ on the car thus outweighing the fuel saving. Keep windows and sun roofs closed on faster roads.

9. Exploring for fuel:

The cost of fuel can vary greatly between suppliers. If however, it requires an extra journey to save a few pence per litre there may not be an overall saving in money. Try to remember where the best deals are and fill up when you are passing rather than making a separate journey.

10. A bit drastic:

If you are able to avoid just one journey each week by walking or cycling the saving of money at the end of the year could be substantial.

If you are thinking of changing your car consider your true needs, you may be able to purchase a smaller, more fuel efficient model, such as a Volkswagen Blue motion Polo. Due to recent regulations generally the newer the car the more fuel efficient it is likely to be. All new cars have to have to clearly detail their fuel efficiency.