How To Be an Eco-Driver – Save Money, Save The Planet!
With the cost of fuel ever increasing it seems wise to learn about how to get more miles out of your tank. The type of car that you drive has a great deal of influence over the rate at which your fuel is consumed, but no matter which car you drive there are still things that you can do that will allow you to save a little money plus reduce the amount of energy that you use at the same time. Think about these eco driving tips that follow in the same way you would the energy saving advice for your home such as insulating your loft or turning the thermostat down a degree to save money, they will have the same results and save you around 10% on fuel.
Car Maintenance
To maintain optimum engine efficiency make sure that you get the car serviced regularly and when you need to buy engine oil, you buy oil of the right specification for your engine. If you are in doubt which oil you should buy check the owner’s handbook for the car. Ensure that you check the pressure of your tyres regularly, especially before a long journey as travelling with under inflated tyres can cause more resistance and result in more fuel being used. Your handbook will list the optimal tyre pressures for your car.Tips for Fuel Efficient Travel
There are a number of ways that you can save both fuel and money when you are travelling, some involve making alterations to the car before you leave, and others are things for you to keep in mind while you are driving. These include:- Lose Unnecessary Weight: Carrying extra weight in the car means that you use more fuel, if you have items stored in the boot of your car that you don’t need to take with you take them out and leave them behind.
- Streamline your Vehicle: think of all of the extra drag that a roof rack or a roof box causes. If you don’t need them for your trip take them off, your car will then be much more streamlined and won’t use as much fuel.
- Take it Easy: Don’t speed, accelerate gentry and make sure you have a smooth drive. Pay attention to the road ahead to avoid unnecessary braking and acceleration.
- Keep on Moving: By keeping the car moving at all times you are actually using less fuel than you would if you were stopping and starting again.
- Cut the Air-Con: At high speeds the air con doesn’t really impact much on fuel economy, but it really eats into it if you are only moving slowly. Open the windows instead and save the air con for when you are moving at speed.
- Observe the Speed Limits: The faster you go the more fuel you use and the more pollution you cause. Cruising along the motorway at 80 mph will actually use a full 25% more fuel than you would use if you were cruising at 70 mph.