In the last decade, the cost of fuel has reached an all-time high and according to a report from the South West News Service (SWNS), a survey of 2000 drivers carried out by Continental Tyres showed that “31 per cent – the equivalent to 10 million nationwide – are considering ditching their car” as the weekly spend on fuel surpasses the cost of the weekly grocery bill.
This is yet more bad news for road users and the motor trade industry as a whole. However, by making some simple adjustments to the way tanks are filled and fuel consumption is managed, drivers could reduce their costs to make it manageable and keep their vehicles on the road.
These simple tips could help reduce fuel bills and keep cars, and auto businesses, motoring:
Shop Around
The internet makes price comparisons a breeze. Not only are the best deals on individual or motor trade insurance easy to find, the best prices for petrol are too.
Websites like PetrolPrices.com inform drivers where to find the cheapest pumps in their postal areas, and supermarkets often have great deals on discounted fuel which are worth taking advantage of.
By being smart about where to fill up and taking part in any loyalty rewards schemes like Nectar, drivers will make what might seem like small savings per week, but when it comes to petrol, every penny counts.
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Plan Ahead
For any long journeys, planning ahead and taking the simplest routes pays when it comes to fuel efficiency, maintaining speed rather than continues breaking and accelerating will save on fuel, those motorway miles are far more economical than the country lanes. Listening to travel updates to avoid traffic jams and delays and if they’re not really necessary, avoiding journeys during school and work rush hours will make a difference to fuel consumption.
Slow Down
Travelling at 80mph instead of 70mph can burn up to 25% more fuel and rarely gets drivers to a destination any quicker, not to mention the risk of picking up points or a fine. When pulling off from junctions or traffic lights, working up through the gears and letting a car pick up speed also contributes to burning less fuel and making that tank last.
Cut Out What You Don’t Need
If a car is heavy, it will burn more fuel, so keeping weighty items in the boot, like equipment for winter weather in the summer will be an unnecessary drain on petrol. The cost of driving can be reduced by cutting out the stuff that isn’t needed, and that goes for heating or cooling vehicles too; leaving the air-con or heaters blowing contributes to fuel depletion. Turn them off.
Fuel-Efficient Tyres
Keeping tyres properly inflated is an easy way to get more miles to the gallon, but to maximise fuel-efficiency, eco-tyres are now widely available and according to Which, are “the key to saving fuel” by as much as “6%”.
Individually these tips may not seem worthwhile yet together they are a simple and effective way of making modest savings each week, during the course of a year they could reduce fuel bills by hundreds of pounds and make the difference when it comes to keeping drivers, and the motoring business, on the road.
