Let’s face it the cost of driving these days has increased to the point where we are all looking for ways to save money wherever possible. The price of car insurance, car tax and fuel has rocketed in the last few years or so and therefore it is important to try to make as many savings as you can. One of the areas you can look at is how you maintain your vehicle and also drive it. So whether it is your own vehicle or a car hire, here are some useful pointers about how you can reduce your fuel consumption:

Drive sensibly and efficiently
Speeding and driving aggressively as well as rapid acceleration and having to brake harshly all adds up to a waste of fuel.  Driving at average motorway speeds, you could potentially reduce your fuel consumption by up to 30% if you drive in a more controlled and moderate manner. It is also safer for yourself and other road users!

Keep within the speed limit
Different vehicles reach their best fuel economy at different speeds; however normally driving above 60-70mph for a period of time will see your fuel consumption increase quite rapidly so try to stay within the speed limit.

Remove unwanted baggage
Some people have a habit of using their car boot as a storage area for all sorts. Whilst it is sensible and practical to keep some items in the boot (in case of breakdown etc.) there is no need to have the kitchen sink in there as well! Excess weight in the car can reduce your miles per gallon and this is more noticeable in a smaller vehicle.




Vehicle maintenance
Make sure your car is in good working order and have it checked or serviced at regular intervals. Something like a faulty oxygen sensor being repaired can improved your fuel economy by as much as 40%. Also another component to check is the air filter as a dirty air filter can restrict the flow of air to the engine, which can hamper performance and also fuel economy.

Tyres
The tyres on your vehicle should be inflated to the correct pressure. If you’re not sure what that is you can easily find the information on the internet or usually at the petrol station there is a chart next to the air pump. It should also be in your owner’s manual and often there is a sticker somewhere in the car to tell you the correct pressures. Under-inflated tyres can really reduce the amount of miles you get out of your fuel.  I speak from experience here, as I realised that I had been driving on the wrong pressured tyres for nearly a year. They should have been 33psi and I had been setting them at 28psi. Oops! After inflating them to the correct pressure, I then did a long journey which I do regularly and was amazed to find I had used a quarter of a tank of petrol LESS than I normally did. Don’t make the same mistake I did!

Do you need air conditioning?
Having the air conditioning on can certainly guzzle the gas quickly. Ask yourself do you REALLY need it on? Sometimes if you’re pottering around town in your car, it might be better to just open the window and get some air coming in. Although at faster speeds on the motorway it might be less of a fuel consumption to have the air con on and the windows up, as the windows down can cause drag on the car at speed thus increasing the usage of fuel. Make the best decision for the circumstances.