The costs of car fuel is rocketing and although car manufacturers are inventing ingenious new ways to get around the problem of a declining oil supply the cost of electric technology is cars is expensive. A recent report by Benfield Motors in the north-east of England declared the biggest concern for motorists when buying a car was the how much fuel the car uses. At the moment there is little car manufacturers and dealers can do about fuel prices, but the driver of a vehicle there are ways you can cut down on the costs of your fuel bills.Drive Carefully!
The faster you drive the more fuel you use. It´s a no-brainer! Slowing down and keeping to the speed limits not only maintains road safety, but is also energy efficient and cuts down on your fuel consumption. This is especially more applicable when travelling on the motorway as tests show an average speed of 57mph is the most cost effective over a long distance.
Cruise controls fuel
There are an increasing number of cars these days that have six gears and built in cruise control which help to keep your speed and fuel consumption down. Likewise when you use overdrive to change gear, it slows down your engine so that it doesn´t guzzle as much juice.
Lose Weight
Heavy loads means the car pulls more weight and you are more likely to have your foot to the floor when driving into the wind and to get up a hill. If you keep junk in the boot you don´t really need, give it a tidy out and shed some pounds. You will also make more room to put the shopping in – and maybe even a picnic hamper, nudge, nudge. Also if you can avoid hills in your journey, you might use less fuel even if the alternative route is slightly longer.
Pull into the garage
A little bit of basic car maintenance can help slash pounds of your annual fuel bill.
Improving a failing engine can save you around 4 per cent, replacing an ailing engine sensor up to a whacking 40 per cent. If an air filter on an older car is so clogged it affects driving then getting rid could cut your fuel costs by 14%. Driving with tyres that are flat (or too inflated) puts more surface area on the road increasing resistance. Pumping them to the recommended psi will save another 3.3%.
Fuel for Cash
When paying for petrol, resist the temptation to stick it on your credit card and pay in cash. Buy your car fuel on your credit card can add another 25p or so every time you fill up and over the year those pennies add up into pounds. Do the maths - you´ll be shocked!
Change cars
Downsizing your car to a smaller engine will save on fuel costs although if you are travelling long distances this is not always the case. Diesel engines don´t use as much fuel as petrol cars and are cheaper to buy than electric.
