Six handy tips to keep your car fuel costs down
1. Keep your tyres fully pumped-up and cut your air-conditioning usage
An estimated 50 percent of all UK drivers have tyres that are under the recommended pressure levels. This causes more resistance which results in more fuel being used. The RAC has advised that you may be increasing fuel usage by up to 2 percent if you don't keep your tyres inflated to the recommended pressure.
Always make sure your tyres are fully inflated to the recommended levels by checking the pressure once a week. You can find out the recommended pressure readings for your tyres by consulting your car manual.
According to the National Energy Foundation, if you use your air conditioning to cool down you could be using up to 25% more fuel, so avoid using it when possible. An alternative method to stay cool is opening the air vents, or even simply opening the windows. However, if you’re travelling over 60mph an open window will increase drag which can end up costing more than having your air-con on.
2. Service your vehicle
If you fail to service your vehicle regularly you could be reducing fuel economy by over 10%. Some of the key areas that must be covered are changing the air filters, as according to the RAC, dirty filters can seriously increase fuel usage; and regular oil changes, as clean oil will reduce the wear caused from friction of all the moving engine components, thus improving fuel economy.
Both of these techniques are inexpensive and will help you to keep your fuel costs down.
3. Change your driving habits
If you make some changes to the way you drive, you may be able to make significant cuts to your fuel bill, and this isn't just about lightening your foot on the accelerater.
Try to keep you gears higher. This will allow the engine to not have to work as hard and thus reduce the amount of fuel required. When using this technique ensure you are in a safe environment to do so, as using higher gears gives you less control over the car.
The RAC claims that if you avoid braking sharply then accelerating, you could save you up to 30% on fuel costs. The National Energy Foundation recommends that those driving a petrol car should change up a gear at 2,500rpm and at 2,000rpm for diesel cars to get the best fuel-efficiency. When starting from a stopped position, accelerate slowly as this will keep your revs down.
If you drive at 85mph you will use approximately 25% more fuel than at 70mph, so keep to the speed limit, especially on long motorway journeys.
4. Cut unnecessary weight and reduce drag
Remove things from your car that you don’t require for your journey, such as removable seats, roof racks, and boot luggage such as sports equipment. Reconsider installing accessories that will add significant weight to your car and wide tyres that will add rolling resistance. According to the website save-petrol.co.uk, on average, each additional 50kg in weight will increase your petrol consumption by 2%.
Novelty flags and fancy sun roofs will also effect the aerodynamic drag of your car, thus increasing how much fuel your car will guzzle. Something else you should be aware of is that carrying a full tank of fuel around adds weight to your car, therefore your fuel consumption increases.
Always keep your eyes peeled for the best rates, you would be surprised how much prices can differ between certain areas. But don’t defeat the object of cutting your costs by driving too far out of your way to find the best fuel prices, as this will cancel out your savings. Try to tie your trip to the petrol station in with a regular trip, such as your weekly supermarket shop.
5. Help the environment and your finances
Try to get out of the habit of using your car unnecessarily for short trips as these can be the least fuel efficient of all, especially when driving in towns ad cities as you are constantly having to stop and start. Cars also use more fuel when cold, so a car that would usually do 40 miles to the gallon when motorway driving, may fall as down below 15 miles per gallon on a short journey. If you could walk or even cycle these short journeys you will notice the difference.
If you use your car to drive to work, consider joining a car sharing scheme, as this would allow you to split the fuel costs between colleagues. Another option is to look into what park-and-ride schemes are available. If it isn't possible for you to do wither of the above, make sure you are taking the most cost effective route in terms of fuel consumption, and if your journey involves busy roads.
Something also worth noting it that a small car will consume a litre of fuel every hour when stuck in a traffic jam, but larger cars guzzle double this amount
When looking to buy a new car, look around for the greenest in your price range as this will not only give you major savings in fuel costs, but also give out lower CO2 emissions which directly effects how much your car will cost to tax.
6. Clubcard points on your fuel
Filling up at a supermarket petrol station allows you to kill two birds with one stone, as you can fill up after your weekly shop in a single journey, and another bonus is that supermarkets tend to offer very competitive rates.
As well as offering good rates, some supermarkets also offer clubcard points for every pound spend, on petrol as well as in store. This means that if you use the same chain when filling up your car, you can collect points that can later be used to pay for goods in store or even on fuel.
To increase your reward points you could take out a Tesco Clubcard credit card, offering 5 points for every £4 spent. Each month you are sent clubcard vouchers based on the number of points accrued which can be used to make purchases in store, at any Tesco garage or online at Tesco Direct. You can even turn Points into Airmiles!
The Tesco Credit Card also comes with a range of other attractive features and discounts, so it might be time to switch your card and make the most of your savings.
About the Author: UK Price Comparison website Which4U – Compare Credit Cards, Savings Accounts, Compare Fixed Rate Bonds, Bank Accounts, ISAs, Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, TV & Broadband and Gas/Electric bills to find the best UK deals
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