How can I reduce my fuel consumption

As we approach Christmas, lots of families will be counting the pennies to reduce the impact of January’s credit card bills. So how can I reduce my fuel consumption?

Driving is unfortunately as vital to some families as heating and water and it’s also responsible for a large proportion of monthly outgoings – especially if you commute to work by car.

The good news is there are ways to reduce fuel expenditure and the benefits of doing so will last much longer than a month. By taking simple measures to reduce fuel consumption, you can save hundreds of pounds every year – money which can be spent on other household bills or even better, leisure time.

The following list provides some practical tips for lowering your fuel consumption to save money. The amount of savings to be made depends to some extent on your lifestyle. If you commute a long distance to work every day, the difference by adopting these measures can be several hundred pounds every year.

1. Reduce your car’s load

Many motorists don’t realise that by reducing the weight of their car, they will consume less petrol. If your boot is packed with items that you don’t need for day-to-day use, consider emptying and locking it up in the garage. This might mean removing your child’s pram for the daily commute to work, removing the roof or bicycle rack until the weekend, recycling rubbish that you haven’t offloaded yet at the dump and removing anything you’re storing in your car to save space at home (something many of us do!)

2. Consider car-sharing to work

This is a rather obvious way to reduce your fuel expenditure but probably one of the most dramatic. If you can reduce by half the number of times you have to physically drive to work by taking it in turns with someone else, you can reduce your bill considerably. For a return distance of 80 miles a day, this will mount up to more than £140 every month. This option is only viable if you can find someone who lives close to you so send out an email to all internal departments to locate a potential car-share partner.

3. Use a high gear

Driving in a higher gear will utilise less petrol. If there are multiple potential routes into work, consider the one which allows you to remain in a high gear for longest which is usually a dual carriageway or motorway. City traffic with lots of stop starts will drain your fuel much quicker than a cruise into work.

4. Reduce idling

Modern cars don’t need to be warmed up before setting off, this wastes fuel in the same way as leaving the engine on to melt freezing windows. You should always ensure your view is clear before driving but speed-up this process by using anti-freeze rather than leaving a car running. If you hit a prolonged traffic jam, consider switching off your engine completely to increase fuel efficiency.

5. Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated

Tyres which are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended pressure will reduce your fuel consumption as well as prolong the life of your tyres and improve handling. Check that your wheels are properly aligned for further fuel efficiency.

I hope this article has motivated you to try and drive longer and for less. These small changes are unlikely to be noticed immediately but over the course of the year they will add up to a significant amount.

If you would like to speak to a team member here at M&BM Motors, then please call us on 01375 379401