How To Drive More Efficiently To Save Fuel

Fuel price is rising throughout Britain — BBC News reported that in December 2018, the average price of a litre was around £1.24 and £1.34 for petrol and fuel, respectively. Here, we take a look at how you can stop forking out to keep your motor running by using less fuel, as well as doing a little bit to help the environment simultaneously. Volkswagen dealership, Vindis have put together this advice… 

Combine Multiple Trips Where Possible

When you drive your car after it has been parked up and stationary for a few hours, the engine is cold. More fuel is needed for the first few miles of the journey — with this in mind, you should look to drive for as long as possible when the engine is warm instead of conducting several short trips with long gaps in between each one. 

For example: if you do the school run in the morning, have to go to the supermarket for the weekly shop sometime during the day and visit some family, can you not do all three during one stint away from your home?

Maintain An Aerodynamic Design

On a windy day, your car guzzles more fuel to battle wind resistance. Therefore, it’s best to keep windows and sunroofs closed especially when you’re travelling at high speeds. Make sure to remove roof racks and boxes for storage when they aren’t being used as well — up to 20 per cent fuel can be saved on an annual basis by removing a cargo box from a vehicle’s roof alone!

Car manufacturers design cars to be aerodynamic, so it makes sense that drivers should be maintaining that aerodynamic design too.

Get Rid Of The Unnecessary Weight

The heavier your car is with unnecessary items that you don’t need, the more petrol it’s going to take to get from A to B — every 50kg increases your fuel consumption by two per cent on average, claims the RAC. With this in mind, regularly look around your vehicle and get rid of the stuff you aren’t using. Will you really be using that set of golf clubs in the middle of winter? Or that pair of cross country running shoes in the middle of summer? 

This may come as a surprise but it’s beneficial to fill your tank only halfway (unless if you’re going on a long journey). This is because it adds to the weight, and you’re not going to need 300+ miles worth of petrol or diesel just to complete a half-hour commute to and from work. 

Carry Out Some Maintenance Checks

Check that your car is in the best condition it can be. A regular service is highly recommended to achieve the best efficiency, while you need to be always using the correct specification of engine oil too — consult your manufacturer handbook to find the details you need here. 

Check your tyre pressure regularly, as under inflated tyres will make your car use more fuel. Correctly inflated tyres, meanwhile, could improve fuel consumption by up to two per cent in context, according to the RAC.

Become Smoother With Your Driving

Your car uses less fuel when you break and accelerate more gradually. Obviously, there will be times when you’ll need to slow your vehicle down — or to a sudden standstill in the event of an emergency — but you should be road savvy enough to be able to approach traffic lights at a gentler pace, for example, or smoothly get up a hill. 

Heavy traffic can use fuel inefficiently by stopping and starting frequently, so if it’s possible try and get around having to commute in the rush hour. Perhaps you can head to an exercise class or gym that’s near your workplace instead of waiting until you get home, for instance.

Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21238363 
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/10-fuel-saving-tips-every-driver-should-know/ 
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/how-to-save-fuel-when-driving 
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/fuel-saving-tips/ 
https://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/motoring-tips-and-advice/10-fuel-saving-tips.html 
http://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/fuels-environment/drive-smart

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