How to make your petrol go further?

24/05/11

A concern for most motorists in recent times is the spiralling cost of fuel.  Petrol prices have fallen for the first time since the 1p Budget-announced fuel duty reduction in late March but this is one very small drop in what has been a time of continual price increases.

So what can you do to make your petrol go further? Here is a guide from Motors.co.uk.

Like every type of shopping these days, it pays to do your homework and look around for the best price

Consider where to buy your fuel:  Within your local area you are likely to have price fluctuation of around 5p per litre

Where you go and buy your groceries: supermarkets try to lure you to shop with them and as an incentive offering you money off voucher for your fuel

Motors.co.uk Tip: most supermarkets offer up to 5p off a litre if you spend £50 on your shopping. So if you’re shopping is going to be more then £100, split into two payments and get 10p off a litre

The way you drive your car can have significant effects to how much fuel you are using for your journey  

Optimal Driving: Your car's fuel mileage decreases once it gets past its optimal speed. For most cars optimal driving speed this is around 55-60 mph. If you have a bit of time on your hands and are not in a rush consider a slight decrease in speed as this can considerably reduce your fuel consumption, while only adding a few minutes to your journey time

Slow down: Likewise going faster will burn more fuel, in turn costing you more. For example, if you increase your speed to 65 mph then you are likely to be 8% less efficient on fuel. If you reach the maximum speed limit for British roads at 70mph then you are 17% less efficient then cruising at 55mp

Motors.co.uk Fact: The UK government is unlikely to be cutting the speed limit anytime soon, as if the national speed limit were reduced to 55mph, it would save 1 billion barrels of oil per year!  You can only guess as to what effect this decline in usage would do to UK fuel costs?

It’s not just reducing your speed that can help you make your petrol go further:

Gear changing and timing is critical when considering your fuel consumption.  Driving experts say the correct time to change up a gear is when the speed you have reached can be maintained in the next gear without pressing down on the accelerator

Motors.co.uk Tip: You should find out from your manufacturer handbook what maximum speeds they recommend for each gear. Optimum fuel efficiency is obtained by changing gear at half the recommended maximum speed for each gear. For example, if 50 mph is the given maximum speed for 3rd gear, change up from and down to 2nd gear at 25 mph

Don’t Rush: It goes without saying that traffic is a fuel burner. Rush hour driving can result in your fuel bill being doubled compared to driving at none peak hours

Motors.co.uk Tip: Good route planning and choosing a quiet time to make your journey are essential to obtaining the best economic performance from your car