A DRIVING instructor has revealed his top tips for saving money on fuel after petrol prices reached record levels.
Petrol prices have soared in recent months, partly driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
1
Supply has been disrupted, which has led to wholesale crude oil, used to make petrol and diesel, going up in price.
But talking to the BBC, Howard Floyd, owner of How-2-Drive, based in Norwich, offered three useful ways to increase your fuel efficiency and spend less on fuel.
Slow down
Slowing down and not hitting the speed limit could save you money on your petrol, Mr Floyd said.
“If you drive at 60, instead of 70, on a dual carriageway or motorway, you’re going to save a good 10% on your fuel consumption,” he said.
“If you stick in lane one, all the lorries are going to be doing 56mph because they’re restricted, so you’re not going to hold them up.”
So next time you’re thinking about overtaking on the motorway and hitting that 70mph speed limit, think again.
Plan ahead
Mr Floyd said knowing what hazards might be coming up on the road, and mapping out your journey could help you use less fuel.
“If you’re coming up to a roundabout, you don’t want to go racing up to it and slam on the breaks and come to a stop.
Most read in Money
“If you plan early, you can look for a gap and keep your car moving.”
He added: “It’s also a good idea to use a sat-nav if you’ve got one.
“Especially if it’s got live traffic, because that will always pick the shortest journey, saving you miles.
“And also, it will let you know if there’s any holds ups, so you can avoid sitting in traffic.”
Check the back
Any extra weight can mean your car is having to work harder, which will cost you more fuel.
Instead, Mr Floyd said, take anything unnecessary out.
He added: “If you’ve got a roof rack, remove your roof bars because that’s just going to create drag.
“And…inflate your tyres to the recommended tyre pressures, because again that’s going to make you more fuel efficient.”
What other ways can I save on petrol?
With petrol prices currently so high, even simple journeys like taking the kids to school can cost you over the odds.
But there are other things besides Mr Floyd’s recommendations you can do to cut back on fuel costs.
You can always check petrol prices online before heading out to your nearest station.
Websites like Petrolprices.com let you search for petrol stations offering the best prices near you.
And having a full tank of petrol can weigh you car down, so sometimes it’s best to fill it up halfway.
A lot of petrol stations run loyalty schemes as well, which means you can wrack up plenty of points and use them to buy fuel instead of cash.
Sainsbury’s has its Nectar Card scheme and Tesco has its Clubcard.
The Sun also recently spoke to a car expert who offered some extra tips for saving £190 at the petrol station.
And money saving expert Martin Lewis has issued advice to motorists to cut their fuel costs as well.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
