Top Tips to save money on fuel
Average prices for both petrol and diesel have hit record high this month. Rising to 148p/L for petrol and 152p/L for diesel according to the RAC and AA. In a world where it does not look very likely for these prices to drop any time soon; we thought we would compile a list of top tips on how you could save money on fuel. These small lifestyle changes could save you cash every month!
Top Tip One: Drive more efficiently
Here are some tips on how you could drive more efficiently:
- Accelerate gradually. The more aggressive you are on the accelerator the more fuel will be fed to the engine. A general rule is to stay under 3000 revs. Another caveat to harsher acceleration is that you are likely to have to brake more sharply, which is also not very efficient.
- A natural Segway to the previous tip. When you brake, you convert kinetic energy built up from using acceleration to heat energy – which is a waste product. Where safe, allow the vehicle to naturally slowdown, good road positioning will help with this. More braking generally means more acceleration, which ultimately means more fuel used.
Top tips to drive more fuel efficient - Change up a gear sooner. Try and drive in the highest gear possible but listen to the engine. If the engine begins to struggle or labour drop down the gear. Driving at a higher gear will take away some of the acceleration, if you refer to the first tip this is not necessarily a bad thing.
- Keep the vehicle moving (if you can). A huge amount of energy is used to get your car going. For example, if you can safely gradually roll towards a traffic light as it changes from red to green without stopping, it will be significantly more efficient on fuel when compared to stopping the vehicle and getting back up to speed.
Top Tip two: Make your vehicle more fuel-efficient
A few simple tweaks here and there can make your vehicle more fuel-efficient:
- Do not use air-con at lower speeds. Engine power is used when Air-conditioning is on, a by-product of this means more fuel is used. At lower speeds, drive with the windows down and air-con off. However, at higher speeds when on a motorway for example, it is more efficient to use Air-con due to the extra drag cause by open windows.
- Remove clutter from your car. A heavier car is naturally more inefficient on fuel. Removing any unnecessary items from the interior will reduce the weight of your vehicle slightly. A lighter car is a more efficient car.
You will be surprised of the little things you can change to make your driving more efficient. - Do not fill your car to the brim with fuel. A continuation from the previous point. Fuel is heavy. By filling your car to its max capacity, you are adding a considerable amount of weight to the vehicle. Fill up slightly more often but put less in (aim for ½ – ¾ full). The reduction in weight will help your car run more efficiently.
- Keep your tyres inflated. Last one, now this is a big point. Tyres with lower pressure have increased drag. Meaning your car will have to exert more energy to get to the same speed as a car with inflated tyres. More energy used means more fuel used. More fuel used; more money spent!
Top Tip Three: Find the cheapest fuel prices in your area.
Ever wondered where the cheapest fuel pumps are in your area? Low and behold there is a nifty little tool you could use to compare the cheapest petrol and diesel forecourts around you.
Go to this site, PetrolPrices.com (there is also an app available too)***. Once registered, input your post code and how far you are willing to travel for fuel (up to 20 miles) and what type of fuel you want. The site will then list the cheapest fuelling stations in your selected radius. A check before you fill up can save you a considerable amount of money.
We hope you can take some of these tips on-board, and hopefully this will save you some money in the future.
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