Monitoring the amount of petrol and diesel you use between filling up your car can be difficult. There’s often a range of factors which can affect fuel consumption, rather than just one particular reason.
Our driving experts have come together to explain situations when your car’s fuel consumption is at its highest, as well as sharing several ways you can save fuel while driving.
Before you head off on a long journey, making sure your car has enough fuel is vital. But for those times when your car runs out of fuel while driving, having one of our high-quality fuel cans in your boot will let you safely fill up your petrol tank in no time.
1. Don’t fill up with too much fuel
Firstly, it’s better to only fill your vehicle with the amount of fuel it actually needs. Putting too much petrol or diesel into your car will weigh it down, meaning it takes longer to use, which can severely impact your car’s fuel efficiency.
To help avoid this, try to keep a log of how many litres of petrol or diesel you’re regularly using. This allows you to get an idea of how much fuel you need to put into your car. To calculate your fuel consumption, you need to divide the distance you’ve travelled by the litres of fuel you’ve used.
2. Don’t drive as fast
Getting from point A to point B, as quickly as possible, can be on our minds when driving. The only thing is that the faster you drive your car, the more fuel it will consume. Try to drive at or just below the speed limit to reduce fuel consumption.
Also, if you’re on the motorway, don’t feel the need drive at 70mph; 60mph will get you where you’re headed to as well, with the important benefit of helping you save more petrol and diesel.
3. Have an empty boot
While it can be difficult, having an empty (or close to empty) car boot makes all the difference to fuel consumption. If you’ve got a full boot, your car needs to work harder to travel with the extra weight, the same as we do when we’re carrying things.
So if you’ve a spare afternoon, look in your boot to see what you need and what you can leave at home.
4. Close your windows
Instead of opening your vehicle windows, which aids the removal of car condensation, closing your car windows is one of the most effective ways to save fuel.
Keeping windows and sunroofs open as you’re driving at high-speeds creates resistance (also known as drag), which makes your engine work harder. We advise that if you’re driving at over 50mph, it’s better to close them to help reduce fuel consumption.
5. Don’t always use air conditioning
Your car’s air conditioning will also impact fuel consumption when you’re travelling at over 50mph. AC units use energy from the car’s fuel source to function. So rather than making your car work more than it needs to, it’s better to try and only use you’re A/C on the motorway.
In a nutshell:
- When driving over 50MPH, use the air conditioning
- When driving under 50MPH, open the windows and sunroof
6. Keep your tyres pumped up
Alongside checking the depth of your tyre treads, ensuring your tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure will help minimise fuel consumption. When tyres are under inflated, it creates higher rolling resistance and drags the wheels on the road, which uses more petrol.
Monitoring your tyre pressure once a month will allow you to see how well they’re performing, and check if they need to be inflated.
7. Be gentle when braking and accelerating
More haste, less speed. That’s the motto to keep in mind when it comes to gentle driving. Although sometimes you can’t avoid accelerating quickly, it’s better to minimise it as much as you can to avoid using too much fuel.
Rather than sharply applying your brakes and losing all the momentum you’ve built up, gently slowing down will preserve more petrol and diesel. The other main benefit to lighter braking is that your brake pads should last longer too.
8. Get ready to anticipate
Alongside not driving as quickly on the roads, being ready to anticipate situations which could result in harsh braking is another effective way you can save fuel.
Keeping a safe distance from the vehicles in front of you will give you more space to slow down and brake carefully, retaining more petrol and diesel.
9. Drive an alternative route
If there’s more than one way to get to your destination, rather than taking the quickest route, take an alternative one. A key time of day this tip works well for is during rush hour.
Consistently stopping and starting your engine in quick succession drains your fuel a lot faster, so considering a different route, which may have less stops during your journey, will help keep fuel in your tank.
10. Replacing your air filters
Air filters are designed to trap and stop dirt getting into your car engine, prevent overheating, and keep fresh air running through your vehicle. Not replacing your air filters when they’re dirty means they have to work harder and use more fuel.
Check your car’s handbook and see when you need to replace your air filters; doing so regularly will help keep the air filters in top condition.
11. Carry out frequent maintenance
Checking your tyres every month is just one factor that makes up monthly car maintenance. Keep an eye on your car’s oil, coolant, and screen wash levels, to make sure your car isn’t working harder than it should be, will help keep fuel consumption as low as possible.
As well as doing your own monthly checks, making sure you book your car in for a service is another way you can reduce fuel use.
12. Switch off your engine
Finally, staying idle isn’t good for your car’s health, so if you’ve not moved for more than a minute, turn your engine off and help save vital fuel.
Knowing what reduces your car’s fuel consumption makes a huge impact to how you drive on the roads. Understanding the names of your engine’s key parts can also make you feel a lot more comfortable when mechanical problems arise.