Save Money on Your Petrol the Sensible Way

With the cost of petrol being such a hot topic in recent times maybe it would be a good idea to see what ideas there are to save money on your fuel. The following are the most sensible suggestions for cutting back on your petrol costs easily and effectively.

Shop Around

Which petrol station near you offers the best prices on fuel? It is far too easy to fall into a habit of just filling up at the closest one to your home or place of work. However, might it be that you could save some cash by driving just a little bit further each time you need to fill up? If you aren’t sure what the local market is like then you could download a smartphone app which helps you locate the cheapest fuel in your local area.

Don’t Go Too Far

Of course, there is no point in driving miles and miles just to save a few pence on your petrol. Once you know what the prices are like locally you need to work out whether it is worth the effort to go and fill up at the cheapest one or stay closer to home.

Don’t Let Your Car Idle

The previous tips were about getting cheap fuel in a sensible way but what about making the most of what you have already got in the tank? Letting your car idle is a waste of fuel and is also bad for the environment. If you are going to be sitting still for more than a minute then it makes sense to switch off and then back on again.

Check the Tyre Pressure

This tip is a bit more surprising but it is completely true. Researchers have found that driving with poor tyre pressure can reduce fuel efficiency by something like 3%. Ok, so that doesn’t sound like a whole lot but it is going to add up to a pretty penny over the course of a year or two.

Keep the Windows Closed or Use Air Conditioning?

Another interesting fact about fuel efficiency is that rolling down your windows decreases it. It seems to be something to do with drag being created but what it means is that keeping the windows up will save you some fuel. The best figures we could find suggest that once you go over 50 mph it is more efficient to use your vehicle’s air conditioning than to roll down the windows. At lower speeds rolling down your windows is more efficient if you are getting too hot.

Keep It Clean

Did you realise that driving a really dirty car can make you spend more on petrol? Some people think that driving a dirty car means making it more fuel efficient. This seems to be based on the theory that it forms dimples like those on a golf ball. This simply isn’t true. Instead, driving a filthy vehicle can cost you more, as it reduces fuel efficiency by up to 10% through increased drag.