12 Top Fuel Saving Tips to save on fuel costs

The steep rise in petrol and diesel prices cannot help but create unwanted pressures on ordinary wallets.

However, while fuel prices continue to rise and additional fuel duty continues to threaten, there are a few things you can do to try and cut down on your fuel use, and therefore your fuel bill:

1. Always drive at the optimum tyre pressure

Tyres will generally slightly deflate with use, which causes extra drag which means more fuel is required to drive a car the same distance. Fix your tyre pressure to help fix this.

2. Reduce Air Conditioning use

Reducing your use of air conditioning reduces the amount of fuel that needs to be used to power up your electrics for this. Therefore reducing air conditioning use helps reduce on fuel use.

3. Fewer electrical devices

In fact, anything in your vehicle that requires electricity requires more fuel to power it. While there are sometimes essential safety features or safety practices, simple things such as not playing the car stereo so loud and not connecting chargers will help not just your battery life but also assist with the reduction of fuel consumption.

4. Drive smoothly

Accelerating and deceleration changes the engine momentum which in turn requires further fuel use. While some degree will always be necessary when driving, do avoid driving habits that involve driving fast for the sake of it, and having to brake constantly because of it.

5. Optimum speed

Try and drive at a speed most efficient for your vehicle when speed limit and safety concerns allow. For example, most cars burn fuel most efficiently when driving steadily at around 50mph in high gear. So on those 60mph single carriages, consider driving a little slower.

6. High gears

Additionally, revving your engine through use of low gears just accelerates fuel use. Avoid over-revving and just move into high gear as soon as possible, to reduce the amount of fuel required for driving.

7. Cold starting

Gone are the days when you would wear out your engine by driving on a cold engine. If you’re using proper oil this should be less of a concern these days.

8. Switch off when stationary

If it’s safe to switch your engine off, do so. Every time I pick up my kids from school there are always parents sat in their cars with their engines running. Not only is it burning up fuel pointlessly, but it’s also poisoning the air around their own kids.

9. Reduce car weight

The more you fill your car with weight, the more fuel is needed to drive your car the same distance as lighter. Therefore remove any extra weight in the car you might be always drive around with, but don’t actually need to carry.

10. Service regularly

A healthy car runs healthily. A car with problems invites all sorts of issues on top of extra fuel use. Service regularly to keep your vehicle running in optimum condition.

11. Avoid short journeys

Most vehicles take a few minutes of driving to become most fuel efficient. Therefore on short journeys, consider walking, biking, or public transport. It’ll potentially save you money and help keep you healthier, too.

12. Good route planning and timing

Some roads are more susceptible to congestion, and especially at certain peak times. As not many people like sitting in traffic jams, it’s often a good idea to plan for alternative routes that will offer a smoother, shorter, and more enoyable driving experience - and avoid leaving you burning up fuel in traffic jams.