2008-08-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Top ten tips to save fuel and money

Drive smoothly

Driving like a Boy-Racer by aggressively accelerating or breaking wastes up to 60% fuel.
When pulling away from the lights, try to accelerate gently.

Use "accelerator" sense.

Do you go straight from the accelerator to the brake? You would save fuel if you read the
road ahead, and rather than have to brake as you hit traffic, gently let the speed of the
vehicle bring you to a halt as you join a queue. There is no point in rushing and then
having to brake to come to a sudden halt.

Plan your route

A bit of forethought can save much wear and tear - for the car, and the driver. Try to take
the most direct route and go off peak if possible. Sitting in congestion means you are often
doing zero miles per gallon. If you have to commute by car, think about car sharing, Park
and Ride schemes or public transport.

Use the gears sensibly

Some of us have a love-hate relationship with the gear stick, but the fact of the matter is
that correct use of gears can make huge savings on your fuel bill of up to 15%! Make sure
you change up into a higher gear as soon as it's possible and safe to do so.

Doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10% and 20% more fuel than doing 70mph
Doing 70mph will use between 20% and 30% more fuel than doing 50mph

For a 20 mile motorway journey, driving at 80mph will only save you about 2

minutes compared to driving at 70mph.

Check your tyres

Ever tried riding a bike with flat types? Make sure you check your tyre pressures
regularly
(every third time you fill-up). An under-inflated tyre can increase fuel
consumption by 3%, and it will wear out quicker too. Check your owner's manual for the
correct pressures.

Don't "warm up" the engine

When starting on those cold mornings, don't leave your car running to warm it up. It
causes unnecessary engine wear, as well as wasting fuel. Instead invest in some decent
de-icer and try to drive off straight away - so long as you can see where you are going.

Avoid short trips

It is so easy to just hop in the car to pop down to the corner shop to pickup your Sunday
papers, but a cold engine will generally use twice as much fuel as a warm engine. Walk
instead.

Turn off the Air Conditioning

Air Conditioning is great in the hot summer months, but only use it when you really need
to and just use the blowers the rest of the time - try to avoid opening the windows when
driving at speed as this can increase aerodynamic drag which will waste more fuel.
Running the air con when you don't need it will waste a lot of fuel.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly

This helps maintain efficient running and good economy. Inefficient, under-serviced
engines can reduce fuel economy by ten per cent or more. A well-tuned engine with fresh,
clean oil and new air filters will run more efficiently than an engine that has been
neglected.