Motoring Money Saving Tips
July, 23, 2008
It’s not often that a war is good news, but the outbreak of a price war on the forecourts of our major supermarkets is a welcome relief.
Asda went on the offensive, cutting the cost of unleaded and diesel by 3p a litre. Morrison’s counter-attacked with a cut of 4p a litre. Tesco has dusted off its tin helmet and says it will price-match in geographical locations; so if a rival’s price goes down so will theirs. Sainsbury is offering a two week promotion of 5p off a litre, for customers who spend more than £50 in their stores.
All good news, but how else can motorists save a few extra quid? SaveBorrowSpend brings you some simple tips:
Tyre Pressures
Did you know that half the tyres on the road are under-inflated? (Um... when did I last check mine?). The experts say if your tyres are just 2psi below the recommended pressure it can increase your fuel consumption by 1%.
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Smooth Driving
Look ahead, anticipate the lights and traffic flow, and keep it smooth. Do I sound like a driving instructor yet? (This is something my poor husband has been trying to get me to do for years).
Lighten the Load
It doesn’t take a motoring genius to work out that the heavier the car is the more fuel it needs to move along. Simply take out all the junk you don’t need. Do you really need that flash Thule top box for the school run and a trip to the shops? No, I didn’t think so. In fact, put the thing on Ebay and make a few pounds.
Slow Down
Not only will you reduce your risk of a speeding ticket, but if you stick at 70mph rather than 80mph on the motorway it will save you up to 40p on fuel for every 10 miles. If your car has a trip meter that tells you your MPG fuel consumption, you can gauge how well it’s doing. Turbo-diesels are apparently “very juicy” (these are my husband’s words, not mine) on the motorway, so slow down.
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It’s not that hot!
We should be cheering the cooler summer, no need to switch on the air-conditioning which gobbles up around 5% of fuel.
Don’t hang out
This is where it gets a bit tricky, you’ve switch the air-con off but you mustn’t open the windows, as apparently it increases your drag and is worse economically than having the air-con in the first place. We are also minded to keep the dogs head and our arms in the car at all times, it’s all about drag.
Don’t fill to the brim
Fuel is heavy, so the expert advice is only fill up half or three quarters of your tank at a time. Unless, of course, there’s a tanker driver’s strike on and everybody else is panic buying.
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Squeaky Clean
Ever laughed at the man who is out every Saturday morning on his drive buffing up the paintwork on his Mondeo? Well, laugh no more; a clean and waxed car is more aerodynamic and yes, it’s yet another way to reduce fuel consumption. What we don’t know is if the cost of all those car cleaning products is cheaper than the net saving on fuel…
And Finally…
Some wise words from Mr. Jeremy Clarkson: “56mph really is the optimum speed for good fuel consumption in most cars. Don’t try this in villages though or you will have to spend some time in prison.”
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SaveBorrowSpend Philippa Adam
