Vospers recognises the rising cost of fuel around the globe and are here to provide you with five tips on how to save on fuelling your car. The following tips are based on information put out by Car & Driving, Car & Driving provide industry-leading automotive content for more tips from them follow this link: http://caranddriving.com/.
1. Weight of your vehicle
Another way to save on fuelling your car is to lighten the load in your vehicle, the heavier your vehicle is the more fuel you have to use to get it to move, so here are some tips on how to lighten your load:
- Remove your roof rack
bike racks and other non-essential accessories are dead weight when you aren’t using them. Not only does removing roof racks reduce the weight of your car roof racks also cause a great deal of wind resistance which will be reduced upon removal.
- Clear out
Only keep essential supplies in your car, for example, keeping heavy snow gear in your boot if you are travelling to the beach will slow down your motoring and use up fuel for no reason.
- Drive with less fuel
It is more economical to go to your petrol station more regularly, keeping your tank between half and three quarters full. A full tank can contribute significantly to the weight of your car using more fuel and hindering efficient movement.
2. Economical driving techniques
Changing your driving habits is another effective way to save on fuelling your car. Here are some examples of how you can change your driving habits.
- Try to avoid unnecessary acceleration and sharp braking
You should only ever drive in a safe way, we are not saying not to break at all rather that travelling slower and anticipating safe braking distances early is more fuel efficient than fast acceleration followed by sharp braking. The faster you go the more fuel you use and abrupt braking wastes energy that you have already put your foot down for.
- Switching off your engine
There is no need to ‘warm up’ your engine, unless you’re driving a vintage car.
- Change gear earlier
Most drivers could make savings by changing up gear earlier and giving their engines less work to do.
- Air conditioning
Only use air conditioning when you absolutely have to, and always turn it off when driving at lower speeds.
- Keep your windows closed
Opening your windows to keep cool and save petrol by not running your air conditioner is actually counterproductive. At high speed, you’ll actually be wasting more fuel due to air resistance.
- Carpooling
The most environmentally responsible way to drive is by taking passengers with you. This may contradict the tips about weight above but four people in a single car are going to use far less petrol than four drivers in four separate cars. You could even ask for a ‘small contribution’ towards fuel which should cover the cost of inefficiency. Get everyone to pay an equal share, and you’ll all save a substantial amount.
3. Avoid premium fuel
Another way to save on fuelling your car is to avoid using premium fuel. Your car may be compatible with premium quality petrol but that doesn’t mean that it benefits from using them. Only high-performance sports cars and upper tier luxury vehicles need to be filled up with premium fuel. Otherwise, you are paying extra money for no extra benefits.
4. Check your tyre pressure
Over-inflating your tyres can cause handling problems but if you fall below the recommended pressure your miles per gallon (MPG) will start to plummet. To save on fuelling your car: check your tyres using Nationwide Vehicle Contracts’ handy guide.
5. Service your vehicle
Servicing your vehicle can also help you to save on fuelling your car. a fully serviced vehicle with no mechanical problems or developing aches and pains will be a lot more efficient than any car or van that is slowly starting to fall apart. If you need your car servicing and think Vospers are right for the job follow this link to get in touch
