ALT-1 How to Save Money on Fuel
With the continual rise in petrol prices running a car is possibly the most expensive it has ever been. And this has caused more people the take drastic measures with many of them ditching their cars and walking to work. According to the Belfast telegraph the number of people driving to work dropped from 67% in 2005 to 59% in 2009. And the most common reason behind their decision was simply because fuel costs are too high.
But there are many ways that you can minimize fuel costs and make your fuel work harder for you.
The most important thing to remember when trying to minimize fuel costs is to remove as much excess weight as possible from the car. Any unnecessary weight will cause the car to drag and it will have to work harder and use more fuel.
Keep the use of your air conditioner to a bare minimum. Air conditioners use a great deal of fuel because they use the engine to power the pump. And before you know it you will need to fill up again.
Having the windows open will also use more fuel because the open windows will create wind resistance. This will mean that the car has to work harder to move forward. And the more you have your windows open the more resistance there will be. But if you have to choose between the two then having the windows down is marginally more economical.
Try not to accelerate too often because a car will use most petrol whilst it is accelerating. This is particularly true if it is a rapid acceleration. If you need to accelerate then you should try to do so slowly and not too often.
Take anything unnecessary off of the car. Things like bicycles and roof racks will create drag and wind resistance which will use more fuel.
One of the biggest culprits of unnecessary fuel consumption is incorrect air pressure in the tyres. Make sure the pressure is correct for your car and you also need to make sure that your tyres are all properly inflated.
Speeding up and slowing down will use a lot more fuel than keeping to an even, moderate speed. Try to keep to speeds between 40 and 50mph where allowed but always follow the speed limit.
You should also always change your air filter at least every 6000 miles to ensure your fuel is being used economically.
