Fuel saving tips: Drive your dollar further
Nobody loves spending their hard-earned cash on fuel, especially with today’s high fuel costs and the amount of time Australian’s spend commuting to work each day. So how can you save on the amount of fuel your car uses up each week?
- Combine your trips. As simple as it may sound, every little trip down to the shops or to and from work can add up. Rather than just waiting until you run out of something to visit the shops, try to combine all of your trips together. Stop at the supermarket on the way home from work; get all of your shopping done in one go; drop the kids off at their friend’s place on your way out to run errands.
- Try to avoid driving in peak hour. All of the stop-start driving will burn through fuel, while you don’t actually get far!
- Get your car serviced regularly to keep its running costs down, and to help save on fuel.
- Don’t waste fuel by idling. How many times have you gone through a drive-through lately and left your car running while you waited? How many times have you waited in a carpark or driveway with your car idling? If you will be stopped for more than 30 seconds, shut your car off and restart it when it’s time to move.
- Accelerate smoothly. Try to travel at a constant speed, and in the highest gear. If you drive an automatic car, ease back slightly on the accelerator once the car has gained sufficient speed.
- Try to limit when you use your air conditioning, or switch it to economy mode. Air conditioning can chew through your fuel when used continuously.
- Drive with your windows (and sunroof) closed if you are travelling over 60 km/h, as it will make your car more aerodynamic, and it won’t have to work so hard.
- Check your tyre pressure. Most people have at least one under inflated tyre on their vehicle. When your tyres are low it creates a greater rolling resistance, and your car’s engine must work a lot harder to get through the air. If you need assistance checking your car’s tyre pressure, visit your local Tyrepower store and speak to an expert.
- Don’t carry around any unnecessary weight. Remove any unneeded items from your car. The heavier your car is, the harder it must work to transport you around. So remember to remove any sports equipment, work gear, tools and even clothes from your car and lighten its load.
- Similarly. If you don’t use your roof rack or bike rack, remove it from the car.
