With fuel prices continuing to rise, it’s getting more and more expensive to run our cars. But what can we do? We’re all extremely reliant on our cars to get to work, to pick up the kids, to run to the supermarket …
The key is, to drive economically! A recent study by the AA took 50 members of staff and gave them advice on how to drive more economically. Within a week, staff were saving an average of 10% off their fuel bill, with the highest saving being 33%. By driving economically, if a tank of fuel costs £50, you would save at least £5 off every tank, but possibly £16.50!
So here are a few tips to make sure you get the most mileage out of a tank of fuel:
Maintenance
- Tyre Pressure – Making sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure will help you save a lot of money. Under inflated tyres will make you use more fuel • Servicing – We know, servicing is often expensive. However, it’s important you get your car serviced regularly to keep it in peak performance. Regular servicing ensures your car is running at its most economical.
Slow down
Ease up on that lead foot. By driving at 70mph, you’ll use up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more fuel than at 50mph. Taking it up to 80mph (whilst illegal) can use up to 25% more fuel than at 70mph. Drop the speed, be safe and save money!
Drive smoothly
Smoothly does it. As well as providing a nice driving experience for your passengers, by driving smoothly, accelerating gently and not breaking unnecessarily, you can cut down on your fuel consumption.
Reduce weight
This one is just common sense, just as a human body burns more calories if they are heavier, so too does a car. Drop the unnecessary weight in the car and you’d be surprised by how much fuel you could save!
Cut down on the AC and heaters
When driving at low speeds, running your air conditioning and heaters can drastically increase fuel consumption. If it’s a hot day and you’re just driving around town, just open your windows and enjoy a nice breeze. If it’s cold, give your heaters a good blast and then turn them off, your car will soon warm up.
Just keep rolling
Stopping and starting up again uses a lot of fuel. Anticipate the traffic ahead and slow your car down earlier, keep your car moving at a slow pace and you might not have to start off again.
Just how much could you save?
If you’ve got an on-board computer it’s easy to see how much you could save by driving more economically.
- Take a not of the average MPG you’re getting at the moment • Reset your computer and start recording a new average • Compare the average MPG’s – try to compare at similar times/periods of driving