10 Fuel Saving Tips Every Driver Should Know
With the cost of petrol and diesel on the rise, here are 10 simple fuel saving tips from BoxyMo.ie:
1. Treat Your Car to Some TLC
A well-tuned engine can improve fuel economy, so follow your car manufacturer’s recommendation on servicing making sure to check your tyre pressure regularly. (every two weeks should do it). The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel your car will use.
2. Make fewer trips
Try to avoid lots of little short journeys and combine all your errands into one big trip to give your engine the chance to heat up. Driving a car with a cold engine that has been parked for a few hours uses much more fuel for the first five miles or so.
3. Turn ‘er off
Idling in rush hour traffic gets you nowhere, although you’ll soon see your duel gauge move down. Turn the engine off when you’re in a queue, or waiting for someone. Every time that you stop and start in traffic, your car needs first gear and a huge amount of fuel to get moving again.
4. Don’t drive in the rush hour
Sometimes stop start isn’t an option, so the best solution is to avoid rush hours if you can and you’ll really notice the improvement in fuel consumption.
5. Shift that extra weight
Just like a person, your car needs more fuel to move around more weight. Would you wear a heavy rucksack if you didn’t need to…? Don’t cart around those golf clubs until you’re ready to use them.
6. Not a fan
Air-conditioning is sure fire way to use up a lot of fuel. It may be tempting to leave on all year round to stop the windows misting but try it keep it off when it’s not hot.
7. Stick to the speed limit
Not only are you breaking the law by speeding, but you’re also using much more fuel, so arriving early is merely a false economy.
8. Put your windows up
When driving on the motorway, opening your windows or sunroof can heavily impact the aerodynamics and your fuel economy. As a rule, anything that makes wind noise as your car goes along is making your car more expensive to run.
9. Easy Does It
Accelerating smoothly and driving at a constant speed in the highest gear is ideal to lower your engine speed and your fuel bill.
10. Drive Smart
Slow down early at traffic lights rather than a harsh stop and always leave a sensible distance between your car and the car in front to give you ample time to brake evenly.
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