Diesel Help

shaneewels

Hi

Does anyone no if i can save some money some how. I use about £550 - £600 a month on fuel to get to work each day. The journey is about 256 miles there and back. I drive quite economically between 65 - 70 mpg depending on weather conditions.

missile

You spend circa 5 hours commuting each day? Move house would seem to be an obvious solution.

david29dpo

With MPG figures like that i doubt it.

torbrex

Possibly might be cheaper to drive up at the start of the week and stay in local accommodation then go home at the end of the week.

steve-L

Do you have an instantaneous MPG ?
I have been researching and experimenting ...

I managed to get 68 mpg on a 150 (ish) mile trip in a 3L BMW
Before I go on, it was really quite difficult to do it and I only did it because I had a sleeping kid and wanted to not stop for fuel and wake him....
Obviously you already know the basics....
Try not to accelerate or decelerate unless its a hill then let it build speed going down and then lose it slowly on the uphill - anticipate traffic as far ahead as possible etc.

Basically, what I understand is modern diesels have 3 modes of fuel injection/burn. (and probably a lot more going on as well but these are the major contributors)

These actually inject the fuel in a different part of the cycle as well as the amount they inject.

Basically you have accelerate hard (dump as much fuel)
normal
and lean

In all aspects of feel its impossible to tell (for me) without looking at the instantaneous MPG readout between normal and lean.

In order to switch between the two is a very tiny change in pressure on the gas.... but the difference on the gauge is something like 50-55mpg to 65-75mpg (assuming I'm on the flat)

Now bear in mind I'm driving a 3L, 280BHP car that's actually not a bad MPG.

In order to maximise this I found changing my driving times a major contributor. I have a part 50/NSL journey that has lots of roundabouts and part motorway... I found leaving really early I miss the traffic on the roundabouts and I can go through most of them at say 45mph and keep the energy instead of having to slow right down or stop.

My work gives me a but of flexibility so I sometimes leave early or late for the same reason.....

If I ever am in slow traffic then leave a gap and try not to stop/go when you can.... (also saves your clutch) ... of course someone will want to jump into your gap.... but I generally don't let it worry me and prefer to crawl at a constant 10mph than stop/go....

phill99

shaneewels wrote: »

Hi

Does anyone no if i can save some money some how. I use about £550 - £600 a month on fuel to get to work each day. The journey is about 256 miles there and back. I drive quite economically between 65 - 70 mpg depending on weather conditions.

You mean 65 - 70 mph, surely, not mpg, surely

I agree with the others. Either move or get Monday to Friday accommodation.

Additionally, you are doing 5000 miles a month, or 60000 a year. Very soon your car will be worth next to nothing. So that £600 each month you are spending on fuel isn't a true cost. Increased servicing, increased failure of components, tyres, and depreciation will easily put that figure at £1000 a month.

Splott

And at £1000 a month it may be cheaper to rent a flat where you work.

27col

Some people do have rather peculiar lifestyles. 5000 miles a month just commuting to work, no thank you very much

shaneewels

Thanks

I will give the fuel dump thing a try tommorow. I let you know if it made a difference.

steve-L

shaneewels wrote: »

Thanks

I will give the fuel dump thing a try tommorow. I let you know if it made a difference.

Yep its the normal to lean I find makes a difference (as I already try not to use the flat out...)

Complete alternative....
Is there any chance work might help out in designating your place of work somewhere else?
It's not their problem where you live (unless they basically moved you) but if they designate your place of work elsewhere you can claim milage (its 45p up to 10,000 and 25p after)

Im not an accountant, let alone corp accountant but so long as the company is making profit they should be able to pay this as a legit expense and not cost them money!

liubeliu

What is the range of electric cars these days when fully charged. Assuming that there is a charge point near where OP works, what is the time to full charge for return trip home.