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Petrol price rise beater - 20 Fuel saving tips
Holeypockets
Posts: 470 Forumite
in Motoring
Petrol prices have risen again for the umpteenth time this month and due to the 'Nuclear crisis' in Iran it looks like the rise will continue to do so for a while yet. I have just read an article on a couple who have driven around the world in a standard family car on just 25 tanks of fuel. They have given some advise on fuel economising - and to get around the world on 25 tanks they must know their stuff! A couple of additional points I would add is to regularly check petrolprices.com for the best local prices and to sign up for the pipeline card in case anything ever comes of the discount. Anyway, here are the tips... (not all of them are things you would have heard of before)
Drive smoothly – Aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel than safe driving. Avoid accelerating or braking too hard and try to keep your steering as smooth as possible.
Use higher gears – The higher the gear you are in, the lower your engine speed is, which can improve fuel efficiency. So change up a gear whenever you can, without labouring the engine.
Tune and service your engine – A well tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4% so change your oil and follow your car manufacturers recommendations on servicing.
Keep your tyres at the right pressure – Correctly inflated tyres are safer and last longer. A tyre that is under inflated by just 1 PSI can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3%. An under (or over) inflated tyre is also more susceptible to failure.
Avoid carrying excess weight – For every extra 100 lbs (45kg) you carry, your fuel efficiency can drop between 1%–2%. So keep your boot or back seat clear of unnecessary items that just add weight to your vehicle.
Keep the windows closed – Wind blowing through an open window will slow you down. To compensate, you may have to put your foot down harder, using more fuel.
Take the roof rack off – If you are not using your roof rack the remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%.
Use the correct oil – Always use the recommended grade of oil. Using the manufacturers recommended lubricant could improve fuel efficiency by between 1%-2%. Higher quality oils can also help your engine operate more efficiently.
Fuel matters – All fuels are not the same. Fuel economy is maximised in the engine through a combination of good driving habits and using the best fuel, one that helps reduce engine friction and improve cleanliness in the engine, thereby boosting fuel economy.
Use cruise control –Using cruise control on major roads helps you maintain a constant speed and in many cases, will improve fuel consumption.
Avoid excess idling – Idling gets you nowhere and still burns fuel. Turn the engine off when you are in a queue, or waiting for someone, until you need it.
Plan trips carefully – cutting down the time you spend in the car is the easiest way to conserve fuel. To reduce driving time, combine all your short journeys and errands into a single journey.
Avoid over-revving – Change gear in good time when you pull away or when you are accelerating. Never ‘red-line’ the rev counter!
Avoid high speeds – The faster you go the more wind resistance you’ll encounter and the more fuel you will burn just to maintain that speed. Driving just 5mph over the speed limit can affect fuel economy by up to 23%
Keep your distance – Leave a sensible gap between yourself and the car ahead to give you ample time to brake evenly.
Use air conditioning sparingly – Air conditioning puts added strain on the engine and uses fuel to operate, so limit use to particularly hot or cold days only. On temperate days use the fan instead.
Check the air filters – Air filters keep impurities from damaging your engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by as much as 10% and will protect your engine.
Avoid rush hour – If you can travel outside of peak times, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and consume less fuel as a result.
Conserve momentum – think ahead when you are driving. For example slow down early to let traffic lights change, rather than stopping completely, or speed up a little before you reach the foot of a hill.
Avoid small fuel fills – Fuel evaporates every time you open the fuel cap. To stop this avoid repeatedly topping up your tank. Also check the seal on your feul cap is airtight.
Hope that helps!
Drive smoothly – Aggressive driving can use as much as a third more fuel than safe driving. Avoid accelerating or braking too hard and try to keep your steering as smooth as possible.
Use higher gears – The higher the gear you are in, the lower your engine speed is, which can improve fuel efficiency. So change up a gear whenever you can, without labouring the engine.
Tune and service your engine – A well tuned engine can improve fuel economy by up to 4% so change your oil and follow your car manufacturers recommendations on servicing.
Keep your tyres at the right pressure – Correctly inflated tyres are safer and last longer. A tyre that is under inflated by just 1 PSI can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3%. An under (or over) inflated tyre is also more susceptible to failure.
Avoid carrying excess weight – For every extra 100 lbs (45kg) you carry, your fuel efficiency can drop between 1%–2%. So keep your boot or back seat clear of unnecessary items that just add weight to your vehicle.
Keep the windows closed – Wind blowing through an open window will slow you down. To compensate, you may have to put your foot down harder, using more fuel.
Take the roof rack off – If you are not using your roof rack the remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%.
Use the correct oil – Always use the recommended grade of oil. Using the manufacturers recommended lubricant could improve fuel efficiency by between 1%-2%. Higher quality oils can also help your engine operate more efficiently.
Fuel matters – All fuels are not the same. Fuel economy is maximised in the engine through a combination of good driving habits and using the best fuel, one that helps reduce engine friction and improve cleanliness in the engine, thereby boosting fuel economy.
Use cruise control –Using cruise control on major roads helps you maintain a constant speed and in many cases, will improve fuel consumption.
Avoid excess idling – Idling gets you nowhere and still burns fuel. Turn the engine off when you are in a queue, or waiting for someone, until you need it.
Plan trips carefully – cutting down the time you spend in the car is the easiest way to conserve fuel. To reduce driving time, combine all your short journeys and errands into a single journey.
Avoid over-revving – Change gear in good time when you pull away or when you are accelerating. Never ‘red-line’ the rev counter!
Avoid high speeds – The faster you go the more wind resistance you’ll encounter and the more fuel you will burn just to maintain that speed. Driving just 5mph over the speed limit can affect fuel economy by up to 23%
Keep your distance – Leave a sensible gap between yourself and the car ahead to give you ample time to brake evenly.
Use air conditioning sparingly – Air conditioning puts added strain on the engine and uses fuel to operate, so limit use to particularly hot or cold days only. On temperate days use the fan instead.
Check the air filters – Air filters keep impurities from damaging your engine. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve fuel economy by as much as 10% and will protect your engine.
Avoid rush hour – If you can travel outside of peak times, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and consume less fuel as a result.
Conserve momentum – think ahead when you are driving. For example slow down early to let traffic lights change, rather than stopping completely, or speed up a little before you reach the foot of a hill.
Avoid small fuel fills – Fuel evaporates every time you open the fuel cap. To stop this avoid repeatedly topping up your tank. Also check the seal on your feul cap is airtight.
Hope that helps!
0
Comments
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Ive never understood the dont brake hard bit.
Ok if you were going to fast that you had to break hard then the going to fast bit was a waste of energy but I dont see the braking bit using any fuel whatso ever.
I stick my clutch in quite often to let the revs drop if I see I will soon be stopping red light etc.0 -
nelly wrote:Ive never understood the dont brake hard bit.
Ok if you were going to fast that you had to break hard then the going to fast bit was a waste of energy
Plus the extra energy used to regain the speed you just lost.
If you lend someone a tenner and never see them again, it was probably worth it.0 -
some really good ideas from holeypockets, but I have a word of warning about one of them.
The tip about not using the aircon all the time is a good one - but I thought that if I did not use it all in the Winter months I would save lots on fuel.
& indeed I did, unfortunately I also got a £80 bill for cleaning out my aircon system of all the bugs & nasties that had flourished in their whilst the aircon had not been working and self cleaning itself.
whoops
MTC
0 -
Murphy_The_Cat wrote:some really good ideas from holeypockets, but I have a word of warning about one of them.
The tip about not using the aircon all the time is a good one - but I thought that if I did not use it all in the Winter months I would save lots on fuel.
& indeed I did, unfortunately I also got a £80 bill for cleaning out my aircon system of all the bugs & nasties that had flourished in their whilst the aircon had not been working and self cleaning itself.
whoops
MTC
Even worse, if you don't use it every so often, I think there's a risk that it can lose coolant gas from the aircon system - which then costs quite a bit to be 're-gassed'.
IMO any braking is a waste of energy - you're converting energy that could be used to shift the car into heat in the brakes.0
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