Worthwhile advice to beat the fuel Price

Created Date: 27/04/2011

With the recent VAT increase and George Osborne’s frankly insulting 1p budget cut crippling most UK drivers, you’re probably not in the minority when it comes to thinking we’re being ripped off for our fuel these days. Aside from camping outside Number 10 until said politician arrives and directing your outrage at his face, most of us will just have to grit our teeth and get on with it. Having just officially hit a record high for current fuel costs, you’re probably beginning to wonder if you’ll ever have the joy of seeing real money again. While there are no sure fire ways to save bucket loads of cash in these times of economic crisis, there are methods that we can use as drivers to minimise our fuel expenditures to more tolerable levels. All it takes is a little perseverance and common sense. This is a little mini five step guide to hopefully help you save those valuable pennies.

STEP 1: SHOP AROUND

Probably the most obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people see it as a waste of time. This is usually attributed to a lack of research, as there are plenty of valuable sites out there for fuel pump price comparison. For example, Petrolprices.com will find you the cheapest price in your area, while Whatgas.com will show all available stations in your area with prices for each one. Fair enough, travelling 50 miles to another station for the matter of a few pence might not be worth the effort, but if you do your research you could find a cheaper alternative close by that you never knew existed.

STEP 2: ECONOMIC DRIVING

Another obvious step is to drive more economically, paying especially close attention to your revs. Needless pedal presses and harsh acceleration accounts for up to 60% of the fuel we end up using, so it literally pays off just to be a bit more thoughtful. When accelerating be gentle on the throttle and ease up to your desired speed; try to stay below 3000rpm if possible. Try to keep your car moving at a constant speed and avoid stops/starts as much as possible Also make sure to change gear as little as possible, as this wastes more of your precious fuel. Finally don’t drive with the air conditioning on, as this is an instant gas guzzler.

STEP 3: A LITTLE HOME SERVICE

Keeping a check on your car on even the most basic level will help you save money and improve performance. Declutter the inside of your car to save every ounce of fuel you can; remove anything unnecessary that might be weighing down that all important journey. Something as simple as driving on slightly flat tyres can have a major impact on fuel economy, so always check tyre pressures before you go out. Ideal tyre pressures vary for each car but it’s usually somewhere around the 30PSI mark. A word of advice would be not to overfill the tyres or it’ll have the same effect as driving on flats.

STEP 4: DUMP THE NOVELTIES

Some petrol stations advertise ‘superfuels’ and ’high performance fuel’ which are supposed to enhance the performance of your car. The truth is very much the opposite however, unless you’re driving a notably expensive sports or supercar. Most typical family cars just don’t need these superfuels and the benefits are very much negligible – you’d be hard pressed to notice a difference. The same goes for petrol additives that claim to ‘enhance fuel economy’; the reality is completely different. The fact of the matter is that if these had any benefits they would most likely be added to petrol as standard.

STEP 5: SHARE THE CAR /PUBLIC TRANSPORT

None of us like to sit next to somebody who smells or talks unnecessarily loud on the phone, but sometimes we have to. While nobody can really admit to like public transport, we also can’t deny that it is a fantastic money saver. Arriva recently added a fuel calculator to their Scotland bus service and many users reported the results as a shocking eye-opener to the money they could be saving using public transport. If you’re making a short journey to the centre of town or to the local shops, why not take a bus or just walk? Many of us take our cars for granted anyway so perhaps it’s time to venture outside and try something healthy. Similarly, if you belong to a family with more than one car, why not consider picking one of them to share between you all? Most families can accomplish their morning journeys together in the same car without much compromise, so maybe a little sharing would come in handy for helping towards the family savings.

Your comments and additions are welcome.

Article written by Tom Williams

Sources

wisegeek.com
whatcar.com
moneysavingexpert.com
paisleydailyexpress.co.uk

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