10 ways to save money on petrol and diesel
I don’t know about you, but I’m noticing an increase in the amount we spend on fuel for the car every month.
We’re not travelling any more miles, it’s a simple case of current fuel prices mean it is costing us more to travel.
Yesterday we phoned around for insurance quotes to get our people carrier back on the road. We’ve come to the conclusion it’s going to be cheaper to run two cars, including the tax and insurance, because of the amount we can save on fuel.
The 4×4 gives us around 25mpg whereas the people carrier can go up to 60mpg on a longish journey. You night remember we’ve been battling with our conscience for years about running our beloved 4×4.
While we’re deciding what to do I was reminded that there ARE ways to save on fuel without reducing the amount of travelling you do or exchanging your car for a hybrid. Yes, in the ideal world we’d radically rethink of travelling habits, but in the meantime let’s at least make some small changes.
One driving instructor in our local town holds an apparent record – he travelled 130 miles on one gallon of petrol!
He shares the usual advice, but if you take everything into account you can make some significant savings:
Slow down!
According to the Energy Saving Trust the most efficient speed for most cars is 45-50 mph
Easy does it
Let your boy racer take a break and accelerate gently
Don’t rev up
Keep your engine revs to around 2,000
Tyre pressure
Under inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by 5%
Lose weight
Keep weight to a minimum. Take off the roof rack if you’re not using it and empty out the boot
Keep on track
Make sure the tracking on the steering is OK. If your tyres aren’t lined up straight you’ll be pushing against resistance and losing out on around five miles per gallon
Look ahead
Anticipate the road; if you’re coming up to traffic lights or queues, slow down instead of braking hard
Turn off the engine
Switch off your engine if you’re waiting in a queue and don’t ‘warm up’ the car in the morning before getting in
Neutral
Don’t change down a gear unless you need to. “Just go into neutral and brake,” John says. “Engine braking uses up some fuel.”
Keep it warm
In cold weather pop a blanket over the front of the car at night time. This helps the car warm up quicker, and saves petrol.
If you’re more visual then here’s a fun infographic with some advice for increasing your fuel economy:
Infographic provided by Staveley Head