5 Ways to cut down the cost of fuel

Hey readers, 

Times are tough for everyone and it is important to save where you can so here are my top 5 tips on how to cut the cost of fuel down.

 1. Find the cheapest petrol station. 

The price you pay for petrol or diesel can vary hugely depending on where you live and which fuel station you go to. While you don't want to drive for miles to get fuel, it can save you lots of money if you manage to find the cheapest station in your area. The website Petrol Prices allows you to do 20 free searches on petrol stations near you to see who has the best rates. This could save you on average of £226 on petrol or £158 on diesel every year, according to the RAC. My husband found a difference of around 2p per litre in his search.

2. Plan your journeys.

When it comes to fuel efficiency, anything that makes your car work harder to get you where you need to go is likely to use up more fuel – and cost you more money.

That’s where it pays to think about your journey. Road surface quality plays a big part. Obviously road surface quality isn’t always within your control but for trips where you know the route well, try to stick to smooth, flat roads as much as possible.

Advance journey planning can also help you save fuel by making combined trips. If you know you need to pick up a few things from the supermarket ten minutes away and visit your parents across the city, why not do both on the same trip? It will save you the hassle as well as money.

 

3. Keep your tyres pumped.

Often motorists only check their tyre pressure once they have a puncture, however, this is a costly mistake. Low tyre pressures create heat and friction with the tread and sidewalls flexing, with research showing that you use an additional 3% fuel for every 10% of your tyres that are under-inflated. Not only that, tyres with insufficient pressure lead to poor handling of the vehicle with the potential for loss of control and accidents.

4. watch how you drive. 

Cutting down on the amount you drive is an easy way to reduce the amount you spend on fuel. But it’s not always possible. Instead, think about changing your driving technique. The best way to do this is to avoid heaving braking, harsh accelerating and excessive speed.

Driving at 70mph uses 9% more fuel than driving at 60mph, and 15% more than driving at 50mph. Being in the wrong gear and straining the engine will also use up more fuel.

5. Making combined journeys. 

Instead of driving to a destination and driving home again before going back out, try and combine all your journeys into one. The experts explained: “A hot engine is a more efficient one because your battery works better in warmer conditions.“One way that you can improve your overall fuel economy is by combining several smaller trips into one long journey.”

 

What do you think of my tips on cutting down the cost of fuel? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X