With the most expensive unleaded petrol now over 100 pence per litre in the UK - June 2009, many motorists are horrified at how much it costs to fill up their tank. Recent price hikes of 5p means that filling up an average 50 litre tank costs an extra £2.50.
But there are ways of making your petrol go further. Here are some practical tips to help you cut the cost of your fuel bill.
- Find your cheapest petrol station. Go to www.petrolprices.com to find the cheapest fuel in your area. It covers 9,704 petrol stations and has 8,000 daily updates. The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest price per litre can be as much as 15 pence.
- Pump up your tyres. Under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance and so use more fuel. Go to your local petrol station and use their pump – it is normally free.
- Put your car on a low fat diet. An extra 50kg will increase your petrol consumption by an average of 2%. Declutter your car boot, and keep anything non-essential at home and not in your car.
- Streamline. Roof racks and bicycle carriers create extra wind resistance and so increase fuel consumption. If you do not need it, take it off.
- Turn off the air-conditioning. It increases your petrol consumption by as much as 10 per cent – so if it is only mildly warm, put the fans on or wind down your window. That said, if you are travelling over 60mph having the window down increases drag which increases your fuel consumption – so air conditioning would be better.
- Stick to the limits. The faster you go, the more fuel you use. Driving at 70mph uses up to 9% more fuel than at 60mph and up to 15% more than at 50mph, according to the Department of Transport.
- Change your oil. Clean oil reduces the wear caused by friction of moving engine parts, helping to improve fuel consumption. You should change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7500 miles. For a diesel engine it is recommended you change the oil every 6 months or 3000 miles.
- Drive Smoothly. Acceleration and deceleration is what uses most fuel – so try to slow down gradually at lights, avoid heavy braking and try not to rev too much.
- Avoid rough surfaces. Gravel or heavy dirt surfaces can increase your fuel consumption by up to 30% – not to mention the affect on your paintwork. If there is a route involving smooth tarmac, even if it is slightly longer, then take that.
- Rather obviously… use your car less. Combine short trips – such as buying the paper, dropping-off the recycling, or collecting the kids – rather than making multiple short trips. Consider cycling instead for short journeys.
- Go slow on a cold engine. Cold engines use twice as much fuel as a warm engine, and catalytic converters take 6 miles to become effective. So avoid either short trips completely or drive efficiently until the engine has warmed up. Journeys typically 2-3 miles long will considerably increase your fuel consumption.
- Consider converting to LPG. To convert your car costs approximately £2k, which can be quickly clawed back as LPG is currently only 50p/litre.
Information: -
For more information on saving petrol, check out these sites: -
Save Petrol
BBC - Tips for saving petrol
Alternatives for petrol
Alternative energy videos
articles 
