Ways to reduce fuel costs
In hard economic times everyone is thinking of ways to cut expenses on essential items such as fuel.
Most of the following simple ways to reduce your fuel consumption are common sense and can be integrated easily into your regular driving routine. It shouldn’t take long for these habits to become second nature.
- The fuel-efficiency of your vehicle is the place to start.
It may be stating the blindingly obvious but, in general, four-cylinder vehicles are more economical to run than six-cylinders, and six-cylinders are better than eight. Light-weight models are easier on running costs than heavier ones. If you are about ready to trade in your vehicle then this should be a major consideration.
However, because everyone is thinking the same way, the market for gas-guzzlers has fallen while anyone with a fuel-efficient model knows that demand for their stock is increasing. Result: Heavy vehicles have to be sold cheap while you pay top dollar for the smaller models. It may be better to hold on to the vehicle you already have (to avoid losing thousands of dollars in the change-over process) and focus on other ways of softening the blow to your motoring budget.
- Reduce the amount of travel. You can’t live without wheels but a little forethought can save unnecessary mileage. Think ahead about where you are going. Plan the shortest route. Avoid rush-hours if possible. Getting caught in stalled traffic is going to cost you. One big shop is better than making several journeys for things you forgot. Sometimes it is pleasant to walk or cycle rather than drive. Several short-distance trips eliminated add up to big fuel savings.
- Develop the habit of driving a little slower and smoother. Sharp braking and accelerating is a sure way to guzzle gas. Reducing your cruising speed by ten percent could save you twenty percent in fuel consumption over that stretch.
- Ensure that your vehicle is fully serviced and properly tuned. Dirty air-filters and spark plugs reduce engine efficiency. Faulty wheel alignment will cost you in fuel too.
- Check your tyre pressure. Tyres should be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended level. Under-inflation causes drag which means the motor has to work harder. Even one tyre under-inflated will have an adverse effect.
- Reduce weight in the vehicle. Unnecessary objects on board, such as sports equipment or tools, mean your motor has to work that much harder. It sucks up a surprising amount of fuel.
- Reduce drag. If possible, remove roof-racks and spoilers.
- Using the air-conditioning unit increases fuel consumption. Switch off unless you really need it. And, do not compensate by opening the windows. That increases drag. Use the internal ventilation system.
- Pay attention to the prices on the service station bowsers. If you aren’t already keenly aware of competitive prices for fuel then now is the time to develop the habit of checking. Whenever you see a good price on offer, stop and fill up, whether you need to or not.
- Record your fuel use. Get into the habit of noting your purchases, your petrol consumption and your mileage. You quickly learn how much more efficient your vehicle is on the open road, compared to stop-start city driving. If you get good at this exercise you will notice that not all bowsers are equal. (There is a service station in our neighbourhood that I will never use again. Their meters were cheating me by around twenty percent.)
- Use the manufacturer’s recommended grade of fuel for your vehicle. It is not economical to use premium grade when regular will do and, these days, regular is almost always sufficient.
- Do not overfill the petrol tank. It runs away through the overflow pipe and is a total waste.
- Make sure that the petrol cap is tightly sealed. And think about investing in a lockable cap. In these tight economic times there are fuel thieves about.
- Minimise idling time. If it looks like you are going to be stationary for more than thirty seconds switch off the engine.
- If a business gives you discount dockets for fuel, save them and use them.
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COMMENTS:
~ alison
I’m spending less on gasoline. The high cost made us organise a car pool to work so there are four of us now who are better off.
~ PTK
Getting petrol when temps are low gives such tiny savings its not worth thinking about. The biggest factor in chewing fuel is leadfoot driving. Every time you accelerate hard you can smell the dollars burning up.
~ Tony Xenophon
I dont fill up. Half a tank weighs a lot. There are plenty of places to refuel and the price doesnt change much where I live so there is no point carrying extra gas.
~ Aaron
There is a good side to petrol prices going up up up. Finally auto makers are going to get serious about producing low-cost fuel-efficient, even alternate fuel-source, vehicles. It’s going to take a few years before economical models are available at reasonable prices, but it definitely will happen. I’m going to drive my current car into the ground until that day arrives.
I hate petrol prices going up, mainly because it is enriching despot regimes that produce most of the oil, greedy oil companies and windfall government taxes, but it’s stupidity to try to even the balance by throwing tens of thousands of dollars at car-makers who are charging too much, at present, for hybrids.
~ carter
To reduce fuel costs and child-care as well some corporations and municipalities are allowing employees to work four days a week or to put in the hours at home.
~ Lars
How dumb can people be. There has been a story on TV and the guy is getting thousands of dollars of free advertising. He ain’t dumb, but almost everybody else must be losing their minds. The guy owns a small suburban petrol station and he cut the price by 10¢ a litre for the day. There was a line-up for a kilometre down the street. One motorist said that he drove from 45 minutes away to fill up when he heard of the discount!!! The average purchaser saved $4 to $6 and sat in a queue for 40 minutes (burning fuel as they idled in the line). It must be sticker shock. People are so crazed by price increases that they are not thinking rationally.
~ Mack McKay
A long time ago I got into the habit of doing up my seatbelt and adjusting mirror and seat and lots of other little things BEFORE I started the car. Another habit has been to take the FIRST available parking space at the shopping center. Its a little further to walk but you pass those people waiting, with motors running, for someone to back out, all to save a few yards walk. It may not seem like much but I bet I have saved gallons and gallons of gas every year. Its hard to believe how much people will spend and how much inconvenience they will go through in an effort to get a little closer to the store entrance.
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~ James McIntosh
Until mass production brings down the price of green cars it does not make economic sense to buy them. Reducing petrol costs comes at a high price. Hybrid vehicles are inefficient. They have a double power source and heavy batteries, which are also costly to replace. And that needs to happen every three years. Electric cars have a short range, which might be inconvenient at the worst possible time, and they still have to be recharged. Is that power without cost? Hydrogen vehicles are a long way from being a viable alternative. Diesel vehicles need more servicing than petrol vehicles, and the replacement injectors and filters are not cheap. In the short-term a light-weight, four-cylinder car, and reducing mileage is the only relief for the hard-pressed family budget.