I am going to share some tips (based on my research) on how to reduce the petrol bill, even before you fill your tank - these tips are specifically about car usage…
Tyres: Pump up your tyres regularly. The tyres should neither be under-inflated or over-inflated. Your car manual will tell you what pressure your tyres should be at - Check regularly and make sure you stick to it. The tyres lose around one psi pressure per month and a tyre deflated by two psi will lead to one percent increase in fuel consumption.
Type Of Petrol: Only high performance cars require the higher grade petrol…If your car does not require high grade petrol then that petrol will usually not make any difference to the performance of the car. So check the car manual or with the manufacturer and use only the right petrol.
Service: Service your car regularly - This will identify any problems and fixing the problems will increase your fuel economy. Not all problems with a car will be obvious - servicing the cars will uncover them.
Idle Engine: Idling for more than a minute consumes much more fuel than restarting an engine. So when you are stationary or held up for long periods of time then switch off your engine.
Strong Acceleration: Drive smoothly and at a moderate speed - don't travel at high speeds. If you need to accelerate then accelerate gradually. When the accelerator is depressed, the engine goes into a "fuel-enrichment" mode. Any speed higher than 90 kmph can waste fuel…On highways, using cruise control can reduce fuel consumption.
Travel Light: Don't dump your car with things you don't need for your travel. On average, every 50kg added load in your car will increase fuel consumption by two per cent.
Right Time: If possible avoid peak times. Constant braking and constant acceleration can increase your fuel consumption.
Accessories Of A Car: Roof racks or additional parts on the exterior of a car can increase aerodynamic drag - which increases fuel consumption. Apparently even leaving the windows open can increase aerodynamic drag…(aerodynamic drag was quite complex for me to understand but after reading a few pages this is my conclusion about what it is - it is simply 'resistance to motion'.)
Air Conditioning: Use air con sparingly…If you are on highways using air con is better than leaving the windows open.
Manual Car: Make sure you are using the right gear…
Short Trips: Well I guess this is common sense - Use your feet for short trips and this will not only reduce your waist line but will also save you money.
Almost There: Don't wait till your tank is all empty - If you do this then you have to drive to the nearest petrol station and you might not be able to use your petrol vouchers at the nearest station ….Nor will you be able to compare prices.
Sandy Naidu shares her personal finance knowledge on her blog – On her blog, she explores new and existing opportunities available in the financial world - all with the aim to educate herself and her readers. To read more personal finance articles visit her blog at
No comments:
Post a Comment