Frugal fuel tips ahead of price hike

With fuel prices set to go up on Tuesday, and parts of the country having recently experienced fuel shortages, it’s as good a time as any to be frugal with fuel.

Here are some ways to reduce your fuel consumption and save some money.

• Monitor your tyre pressure and keep your tyres pumped to the OEM specifications – this is usually found on a sticker on the driver’s door. Doing this reduces ‘rolling resistance’, which is the amount of energy your vehicle needs to move your tyres at a consistent speed

• Opt for smooth and gentle actions over harsh and abrupt ones when it comes to acceleration and braking. Keep a good following distance to avoid being unnecessarily heavy on the pedals, and try tapping off the accelerator to slow down before you have to brake

• Avoid idling and, in manual cars, try to change gears before reaching 3 000 RPM, as higher revs lead to higher fuel usage. Together with accelerating and braking gently and smoothly, this can greatly improve fuel efficiency

• Plan your routes and follow directions carefully to avoid missing turns and going in circles. This will save you time as well as the extra fuel used by driving around

• Of course, keep your speed steady and stick to the speed limit. Varying your speed and driving too fast increases rolling resistance, drag and revs, and is a sure-fire way to overconsume fuel.

These points mostly relate to good car maintenance and treating your car well. Keep it up and it will return the favour to you – and your bank account.

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