Most of us in the UK are feeling the pinch right now due to the cost of living, and have been looking at ways to reduce costs where possible. With the average family car costing around £90 to fill up, you may want to look at ways to keep the overall running costs of your car down too.
Below are some tips on reducing the cost of running your vehicle.
Avoid premium fuels for non-performance cars
Most fuel stations sell high performance petrol that costs more than standard petrol. Unless you drive a performance vehicle that specifies that you must use a particular fuel, then you can use the cheaper petrol in your vehicle.
Drive at low rev’s
The best way to achieve a high MPG is to drive at the lowest possible speed in the highest possible gear. The optimum fuel economy speed will be different for each car, and road gradients and conditions will also make a difference, so try to become familiar with your vehicle and how to drive it economically.
Maintain momentum
Maintaining momentum is a great way to save fuel. Depending on traffic conditions and your route, try to keep the car rolling as much as possible, because slowing down and accelerating, and moving off from a standing start uses more fuel. Try to predict what is coming up ahead, such as traffic, bends and traffic lights.
Easy on the accelerator
Unnecessarily accelerating will use more fuel than you need to, and often doesn’t get you to your destination any quicker due to traffic conditions.
Keep the weight down
Don’t store unnecessary items in your car, as the more weight in the vehicle, the more fuel it will use. For example, on average, every 50kg will increase your fuel consumption by 2%. Also bear in mind that roof bars create drag, which will affect fuel consumption by around 10%.
Tyre Pressure
Depending on the load you are carrying, make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure as indicated on your car. The correct pressure will produce the best MPG.
Warm Engine
Driving a with a warm engine reduces fuel consumption, so try to do one round trip rather than several short trips where possible. Every time you start your car from cold, it will have to warm up and will use more fuel during that period.
Reduce Air Con use
Air Conditioning uses engine power and therefore more fuel, so try to use it sparingly where possible.
Maintain your vehicle
Maintaining your vehicle and having it serviced on a regular basis will keep the running as best as possible, which will potentially reduce fuel consumption. Also bear in mind that certain aspects on vehicle servicing can be done by the owner, so learn about these things to further reduce costs.