Drive More, Pay Less

With the price of fuel rising as we speak, the only logical way of making your money go further in the world of modern motoring is to make your fuel go further. Here are our top tips for driving in a more economical fashion:

– Ensure your car is serviced regularly. Whilst this may be a hassle, things such as replacing your oil or checking your tyre pressure have been shown to have a dramatic effect on fuel costs. An under-inflated tyre will cause more resistance and therefore cost more in fuel, and always ensure that you top up the tyre pressure when carrying heavier loads.

– Remove excess weight. This doesn’t mean get on a treadmill. Your car will work harder to carry more weight, which will take more fuel. Make your car as light as possible by removing surplus items from the boot and back seats, or roof-boxes. This will also help you to stay streamlined, which will benefit your fuel consumption.

– Plan journeys. If you get lost or are forced to drive around aimlessly to find somewhere, you are wasting fuel unnecessarily. Plan ahead, save time, save fuel, save money.

– Drive smoothly. Accelerate gently, ease your car to a slow stop rather than a harsh brake, and you will save fuel, as well as reduce the risk of accidents. Also try to keep the car in motion- repeated stopping and starting the vehicle will have a detrimental effect on your fuel levels.

– Drive responsibly – Change gear earlier than you are used to. The recommended rpm to change gear at is around 2,000 for a diesel car or 2,500 for petrol.

– Reduce non-essential usage. Have a window open if at all possible, and save the AC for motorway driving. Keep electrical loads off to reduce fuel consumption and you will see your money go further.

– Turn the engine off if you expect to be stationary for more than three minutes. Ignore the myth that turning off the engine and back on again will use more fuel –this simply isn’t true.

– Drive legally. Specifically, this refers to speed limits. Not only is it highly dangerous to speed in your car, the higher your speed, the more fuel you will use. A difference of as little as 10mph can mean as much as 25% more fuel usage.

Follow our tips for more economical driving, and see your car go further along with your cash.

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