Fuel saving tips
With fuel prices forever on the rise and fall, here are some fuel saving tips that will hopefully leave you with a little more money in your pocket at the end of the month.
With the ever rising fuel prices, everyone is looking towards ways of saving petrol.
Here are nine tips to help you make your car more fuel efficient:
Get your kit off: Take your roof racks off your car when you don’t need them. This will ensure that your car is more aerodynamic, which makes a big difference in fuel efficiency.
Ensure your tyres are pumped to the correct pressure: such a simple task can have a massive impact on fuel usage as well as handling. It’s also safer. Low tyre pressure can cause blow-outs.
Unload unnecessary items from your car: Weight can be another factor in increasing fuel usage. Some people also never entirely fill their fuel tank, opting to fill only 60% or 70% since a full tank is actually quite heavy itself.
Don’t rubberneck: We are all tempted to slow down and have a look at what caused the accident on the side of the road. When you slow down to do so, you’re causing others, in some cases hundreds of others, to slow down for no reason. All those cars then hit the pedal to speed back up, including you, wasting fuel in the process.
Anticipate: Always look ahead and get a good idea of what is about to happen in the next few seconds. Minimise your reactionary braking, or aggressive acceleration. Smooth out your driving.
Don’t drive angry: Easier said than done, especially in heavy traffic. But angry driving burns more fuel. Burning out at the traffic lights or weaving in and out of cars can all mean heavy acceleration and heavy fuel use.
Cruise: Using cruise control on the motorway and setting a constant speed can save fuel.
Car services: Servicing your car is a task few look forward to, but while you may be saving money in servicing costs, you’ll end up paying in the long run with poorer fuel economy or even bigger mechanic’s bills if you leave it too long.
Plan your journey: A wrong turn here and there means extra kilometres behind the wheel and that means you burn more fuel. Rushing out to the shops three or four times a weekend also impacts your pocket. Draw up a shopping list and ensure you complete all your errands in one trip. A carefully planned journey can save you precious litres.
