AAADVICE: Tipstocut fuel use

AA ADVICE: Tips to cut fuel use

We are all too aware that the cost of living has headed north, with households feeling the pinch of high inflation and rising prices.

At times thisyear, the price of regular petrol has hit aneye-watering $3 a litre –makingstandingatthe pump, watching those numbers tickover quite astressfulevent.

There’s notmuch youcan do about the price of petrol. Butyou can make tweaksto theway you drive, and how you runyourcar, whichcan cutyour fuel useand reduceyour maintenance costs.

times, but the more aggressivelyyou drive, the more fuelyou use.Try to drive smoothly, cornersteadily, and have alighttouch on the accelerator. • Keep rolling– ituses less fuel thanstarting andstopping, sowatch the traffic and slow downearlyfor lights and queues. • Doesyourvehicle have an ecoor fuel saver mode? Now’sthe timetouse it. • Sticktothe speed limit. • Be savvy withyour airconditioning. Ifyou do need to cool your car, open the windows atlow speeds and use airconditioningat higher speeds when it makes less difference tofuelconsumption. • Switch offany unnecessary electrics– the worst culprit is heated seats.

The artofeco-driving How much difference caneco-driving really make?You might besurprised.When 50AA stafftrialled thesetechniques, they saved an average of 10 percent on theirweekly fuelcosts – and oneperson saved 33 percent.

Before you setout Removeextra weight from thecar:you’ll not only improve efficiency,but alsoreduce braking time/distance.So, take out those golf clubs orgym gear that you’re notusing rightnow.

Take offroofracks.Leave them at home until you need them– they’rejust creating drag.

Planahead. Combine smaller trips into one journey andtakethefastestroutestoyour destinations.

Whileyou’re driving • Keepcalm. Thiscan be really hard to do at Prevention is better than cure A well-maintainedcar will runatpeak efficiency.Whenyou have your car serviced regularly, you’ll likely spot problems while they’restill minor. If youwait untilyourcar won’t start oryou have abreakdown, thecost of repairs will probably be much higher.

Tyrepressure is also an important aspect of fuel economy. Underinflated tyres not only put you at risk ofa blowout (expensive!), but they can alsoreduce fuel efficiency by up to 4 per cent, accordingtoGenLess.

Tips fora specificvehicle Try the GenLessFuel Efficient DrivingToolto identifywaystoimproveeconomy. It usesyour registration number, then asks questions about your habits, before givingyou an estimate on how muchyou could save by making the suggested changes.

It’s awin-win-win There’s no real downsidetomaking these changes, and the benefits can be substantial. A lower fuel bill is money straight into your pocket, whilereducing maintenance costs, preventing speeding tickets, and decreasing yourcarbon emissions.

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