Tips for cheaper motoring

Over the past 10 years petrol and diesel prices have almost doubled – rising well above inflation. Alongside the cost of living raising as well, some of us may struggle monthly to pay our bills. So here are some tips to cut the costs of motoring.

Know your motor

Before you start taking fuel saving measures, it’s worth finding out the exact consumption and costs for your vehicle. Your car is likely to be less economical than the manufactures claim.

There are a number of different websites which can help you figure out how economical your car is.  However, if you would like to find out how well your car performs with the journeys you make, fill your tank to the top and zero your mileage. On your next visit to the fuel station, fill up again and divide the total cost by the mileage you’ve clocked up. This will give you your cost per a mile.

Get it cheaper

There are websites where you can compare fuel prices in your area. Some examples are: https://www.petrolprices.com/ & http://www.whatgas.com/

The prices can differ as much as 20p per a litre. This may not seem like very much but if you are filling your car up every fortnight, that’s a difference of about £360 a year.

Lighten the load

Anything in your car that is weighing your car down is costing you unnecessary fuel. You don’t need to get rid of your spare tyre as you never know when you might need it but it’s a good idea to get rid of any unnecessary items from your boot and back seat.

Also if you have a roof rack on and you’re not using it, take it off as it drags your car. This will make your car more streamlined and help save fuel.

Drive for consumption not for speed

The way that you drive can have a considerable impact on how much fuel you use.

Some tips for driving for economically include:

• Drive smoothly, accelerating gently and read the road ahead to avoid unnecessary braking
• Decelerating gently by releasing the accelerator and leaving the car in gear
• Avoiding bringing the car to a stop whenever possible. Starting from a halt uses more fuel
• Take your time. Driving at 60mph instead of 70mph uses 9% less fuel.
• Switch the engine off if you’re stuck in traffic when your waiting more than 3 minutes.

Maintain your motor

Keep your car well serviced and maintained as it will make it fuel efficient in the long run. Over time your tyre will start to leak air. Keeping your tyres at the correct tyre pressure will improve your fuel consumption by 2%.

Plan ahead

It’s always best to plan your journey ahead and find the shortest route and to avoid heavy traffic.

If you are running errands, try and get as much done as possible in one outing. A cold engine uses up more fuel than a warn one so a long, multi-purpose trip is more efficient.

Car Share

If you have any friends or colleagues making the same journey, it’s worth sharing a car and splitting the fuel costs or taking it in turns. This will help save fuel and the environment at the same time.

At insureFLEET, we are able to offer your great prices on your fleet insurance. We try and find you a great saving which will cut your costs even more. To find out more, call our specialist team on 0333 202 3173 or fill in our online quote form here.