It's always at the top of our 'ick' list - rising fuel costs. They're inevitable as the cost of living rises, but what fuel efficiency tips do you need to pay attention to, that actually work?
Well we're here to answer your call to arms in the war against the rising fuel prices, as we offer you our very own fuel efficiency tips that help you save the miles, which in turn helps save the pounds.
Our Fuel Efficiency Tips
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Regular Maintenance: At the top of our fuel efficiency tips, regular maintenance is required to ensure that everything is running smoothly and up to scratch. A well-oiled machine promotes good fuel efficiency as well as saving you money for repairs, as there's less chance for anything to break.
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Proper Tire Inflation: Next on our fuel efficiency tips list is properly inflating yours tires. If you don't properly inflate your tires it can cause more rolling resistance with the road, which will lead to a decrease in your MPG.
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Lighten the Load: When we say lighten the load, no we don't mean get rid of your passengers! We literally mean remove any unnecessary items from your vehicle, especially heavy ones. Extra weight can decrease fuel efficiency drastically!
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Smooth Driving: If you drive smoother, your fuel efficiency will increase, if you adopt bad driving behaviours such as faster acceleration, harsh braking, and speeding, then you will waste fuel.
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Use Cruise Control: Up next as a fuel efficiency tip is if you're on the M1, casually cruising, use cruise control (if your vehicle has it), as it can help maintain a consistent speed and reduce fuel consumption.
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Reduce Idling: Some cars have this as a standard feature called stop start, but if you're parking or waiting for an extended period of time, turn off your engine as idling consumes fuel unnecessarily.
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Plan Your Trips: Planning your trips is another one of our fuel efficiency tips. If you plan better for your trips, you can find shorter, more fuel efficient routes and even combine errands to reduce the number of short trips. Cold starts and short drives are less fuel-efficient.
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Choose Efficient Routes: By using navigation apps to find the shortest and most fuel-efficient routes to your destination, you can save fuel and even reduce your journey time - 2 birds, 1 stone and all that!
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Maintain a Steady Speed: Alongside cruise control, this is an important fuel efficiency tip - maintaining a steady speed whilst avoid unnecessary lane changes and erratic driving. Consistent speeds lead to better fuel efficiency.
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Use Air Conditioning Wisely: The use of air conditioning is in fact one of those 'myths' that is true. Air conditioning can indeed put an extra load on your engine. Use it sparingly, and consider using the vehicle's ventilation system instead.
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Close Windows at High Speeds: Aerodynamics are massive when it comes to fuel efficiency. Open windows on roads such as motorways can create huge amounts of aerodynamic drag. Just like air conditioning, we suggest utilising the vehicle's ventilation system to stay cool.
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Hybrid and Electric Vehicles: Possibly the most expensive choice out of our fuel efficiency tips - consider hybrid or electric vehicles if your driving patterns allow you to do so (charging locations and journey distance dependant!). Hybrids and electric cars are typically more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly.
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Carpooling and Ridesharing: Carpooling to work or sharing rides with others can help reduce fuel consumption by decreasing the number of vehicles on the road, whilst sharing the brunt of the cost for fuel.