Since everyone is talking about the ridiculous price of petrol and diesel, I thought I would provide some tips on saving money whilst driving. Tomorrow I shall let you know how to find the cheapest fuel in your area, but for today just some good and worthwile suggestions.
I acknowledge the RAC for the information below.
It's possible to make big improvements by making minor tweaks to your vehicle. It's estimated that someone who averages 35 miles per gallon (in old money) could get 40 mpg by driving better, a near 15% saving.
Keep your tyres correctly inflated. Efficiency Improvement: Up to 3%
Lower tyre pressure increases the drag on a car meaning you need more fuel, so regularly check the pressures are correct and your car needs less oomph to keep it moving.
Declutter your car. Efficiency Improvement: Up to 2%
The lighter your car is, the less effort it needs to make to accelerate. Therefore, by decluttering, clearing out junk from the boot, and not carrying unnecessary weight, you can make extra savings.
Take your roof rack off. Efficiency Improvement: Up to 2%
A roof rack, even unused, adds massive wind resistance to a car, increasing drag and making the engine work harder. So if you don't need it, take it and anything else that's inefficient off. Even closing the windows'll make the car run slightly more efficiently.
- Turn off the air con. Efficiency Improvement: Up to 8%
Air conditioning also uses an incredible amount of fuel, so make sure it's turned off unless you really need it. However, if it's really hot, it can become a more effective proposition, as driving with the windows closed is more economical than having them all open, due to the extra drag it causes. Also, don’t keep the engine running; drive off as soon as you start up and switch off the engine as soon as you reach your destination.
Don't fill it up. Efficiency Improvement: Up to 1%
Fuel is heavy, so by filling the car up you're adding quite a weight. The less fuel your car has in it, the more efficiently it drives. Thus filling up slightly more often and putting less in (to 1/2 or 3/4 full) will make the car run more efficiently.
It's possible to drive the same distance in the same time, yet use considerably less fuel. You can chop up to 60% OFF your fuel costs without cutting your top speed. It’s simply about driving more smoothly to boost your fuel efficiency.
Accelerate gradually without over-revving.
Speed up smoothly; when you press harder on the pedal more fuel flows, but you could get to the same speed using much less power – a good rule is to stay under 3,000 revs.
Drive in the correct gear.
Always drive in the highest gear possible without labouring the engine.
Slow naturally.
Rather than brake all the time, let your car slow naturally and use its stored momentum.
Think about road position.
To do all this takes road awareness, so the more alert you are, the better you can plan ahead and move gradually.
In many ways this all comes down to one little rule of thumb...
Every time you put your foot on the accelerator, remember the harder you press the more fuel you spend.
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