1. Plan your journey
If you’re driving around lost you’re bound to use more fuel than if you prepare. Try and plan your journey before you set off – but make sure you don’t get too distracted by maps, instructions or sat navs.
2. Drive smoothly¹
Smooth driving is crucial for staying safe on the road and avoiding using more fuel than you need to.
What does this mean?
- Gradual acceleration
- Gentle braking (unless it’s to prevent an accident)
- Slow down in good time to avoid unnecessary braking
3. Lighten your load
Extra weight in the car means additional fuel consumption. Don’t carry any heavy items that you don’t need.²
4. Keep your tyres in shape
Make sure you check your tyre pressure regularly, especially if you’re planning a long journey. Under-inflated tyres can make your car unsafe to drive – plus they require more force to turn so use up more fuel.³
You might want to check your tread depth at the same time – the legal requirement for minimum tread depth is 1.6mm.⁴
5. Use the right gear
Be careful not to drive in too low a gear, as this can cause over-revving and use up more fuel.
6. Keep to the speed limit⁵
Driving at a sensible speed not only helps you avoid an accident or driving penalty, it also helps reduce fuel consumption as the faster you drive, the more fuel you use.
Did you know? If you drive at 60mph you could be using up to 15% more fuel than driving at 50mph.
7. Think twice before using the air con
Using the air con is more economical than having the windows open, but it can still increase the fuel usage by up to 10% if you’ve got a small engine.⁶
8. Avoid complicated manoeuvres when leaving a parking space
Your car’s engine will use more fuel when it’s cold (i.e. when you first drive it after it’s been parked for a while), so if you can park somewhere that means you can drive off without having to manoeuvre your car around too much, you could help save on a bit of fuel. For example, you might want to reverse into a bay parking space rather than drive in forwards.⁷
9. Turn your engine off when parked
You might be in a hurry to leave, but try to avoid leaving your engine running when you’re parked for a long period of time, as this will use unnecessary fuel.
AND FINALLY….
10. Consider walking instead
This might be easier said than done, but it’s easy to get into the habit of jumping straight into your car whenever you need to travel anywhere, when in fact you might be able to save money on short journeys and help the environment by walking instead. If you live in a busy city it might even be quicker to walk!
Sources:
[1] [2] [6] http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuels-and-environment/drive-smart.html
[3] http://www.tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/tyre-pressure-check
[4] http://www.tyresafe.org/media-centre/latest-news/554-weather-woe-inflates-the-need-for-tyre-safety-checks
[5] http://www.theguardian.com/money/2010/may/01/save-800-pounds-year-petrol
[6] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/2752696/Economy-driving-How-to-cut-your-fuel-costs.html
[7] http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/how-to-save-fuel-and-drive-economically-775897