Here are a few simple tips and tricks you can use to help reduce the pinch that fuel is currently having on the pocket.
Ease off the accelerator
It’s pretty simple, the harder you accelerate the more fuel you use.
In the city, you can use less fuel by easing the accelerator on gently. To be as fuel-efficient as possible, take 5 seconds to accelerate your vehicle up to 20km per hour from a stop.
It is also worth considering using cruise control for highway driving, where conditions permit.
When you alternate between accelerating and braking hard, you use more fuel, and spend more money than you need to at the petrol station.
Studies have shown that varying your speed up and down between 75km and 85km per hour every 18 seconds can increase your fuel use by up to 20%. According to a Budget Direct survey, the average Australian currently pays $68.94 to refill their car, so that equates to an extra $13.80 you’ll spend every time you fill up just because of the way you accelerate.
Regularly service your car
Most people don’t realise that regularly servicing their car can save them a significant amount of money in fuel. Making sure your car runs smooth and in great condition can help you significantly save on petrol.
Whether its dirty, grimy engine oil clogging up your engine. A clogged fuel filter not giving correct readings or dusty, poor quality brake pads creating additional friction, your fuel efficiency will suffer if your car isn’t maintained to a high standard.
Check your tyre pressure
Under-inflated tyres increase your vehicle’s drag, which also increases your fuel consumption.
A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the USA found that every 1 per cent decrease in tyre pressure correlated to a 0.3 per cent reduction in fuel economy.
Apart from increasing your fuel usage, under-inflated or over-inflated tyres on your car can also be downright dangerous.
Proper air pressure in a tyre helps to distribute the weight of your car evenly across the tyre, so the tyre (and your vehicle) is at its most stable. When a tyre is under-inflated or over-inflated, it loses stability, negatively affecting handling, cornering, and stopping.
Weight reduction
We’ve all wished we could leave the kids on the side of the road when they start screaming and remove the back seats, however that’s not quite what we had in mind by weight reduction. Plus child services might have something to say if you did that.
Heavier vehicles have greater inertia and greater rolling resistance, which both contribute to increased fuel consumption. Reducing weight is a very effective way to reduce fuel consumption, as is reducing drag.
Multiple smaller items can accumulate and add up to a significant amount of additional weight that you don’t need to be constantly carting around everywhere with you. For instance, your golf bag, roof racks and awnings, a tow ball – all these items may only be used a few times a year, yet they are permanently in or on your car causing drag and adding excess weight. By removing these items when you’re not using them, you can make a significant dent in your fuel economy.
There you have it, easy and simple ways to help you save money on your fuel bill each week.
To see how we can help you save money on your car finance each week, speak to our friendly team today on 1800 538 287 for an obligation-free chat about your vehicle finance or refinance needs.
