The cost of petrol and diesel keeps going up every year. This affects you whether you drive a personal car or a company car. If you save a bit of money on fuel each time you drive, it will build up to be a significant amount over time. If you run a business, this can make a big difference in your profitability. If it’s your personal car, that will be more money for other home expenses.

Here are 22 driving tips to save fuel. Use them to reduce your fuel bills starting today.

Before you go on the road:

1. Buy a small car. Small engines use less fuel than the larger ones.
2. Buy a diesel car. Diesel cars are generally more efficient than petrol ones.
3. Buy a car with automatic transmission. Automatics use up to 10% less fuel than manual cars.
4. Service your car frequently. Follow the advice in the owner’s manual regarding regular servicing. This allows your engine to function at maximum efficiency.
5. Use the right type of engine oil. This helps to run your engine smoothly.
6. Check tyre pressures. Low tyre pressure causes more resistance and uses up more energy to move.
7. Reduce wind resistant surfaces. Projecting loads, roof racks and boxes increase wind resistance. This leads to increased fuel consumption. Closed windows reduce wind drag.
8. Reduce weight. Check your boot for anything you don’t need for the journey. Increased weight uses up more fuel.
9. Plan your journey. Plan your journey so that you can do more than one thing when you go out. Plan your journey so that you don’t keep retracing your steps. Avoid congested routes, road works and rush hour so that you don’t end up spending time stuck in traffic. Find out where you are going in advance so that you don’t get lost on the way and make unnecessary turns.
10. Avoid short journeys. Your catalytic converters starts to work after about 10km. You will therefore end up using more fuel in the first 10km.
11. Avoid long journeys. Do you need to drive to Ndola when you can arrange for your friend to bring an item when she drives to Kitwe?
12. Consider other ways to travel. Can you save time and money using public transport? Can you walk to the shops instead of driving there? Can you walk your child to school and spend more time with her on the way?
13. Park facing out. Reversing and other manoeuvres use up more fuel when done while the engine is cold (when you come back to the car).
14. Tighten the fuel cap. A loose or missing fuel cap leads to fuel loss by evaporation.

While driving on the road:

1. Avoid revving the engine. If you rev in low gear, you use up more fuel.
2. Change up gears at the right time. Avoid straining the engine by changing up to the next gear when the engine revolutions are around 2,000 r.p.m. (petrol) and 3,000 r.p.m. (diesel). In modern cars, an indicator light comes on when it’s time to change up. Drive in the highest possible gear to use the least amount of fuel.
3. Avoid sudden acceleration and deceleration. That uses up more fuel.
4. Keep the car rolling. Slowing down in order to reach traffic lights in time for the green light is more fuel efficient than speeding to the stop line and then accelerating when the light goes green.
5. Avoid using the aircon, especially at low speeds. At high speeds, the air con uses up less fuel than at low speeds.
6. Shut down electrical appliances. Electrical loads lead to increased fuel consumption. Headlights, demisters, rear window heating, etc. all use up energy.
7. Travel at optimum speed. Speeds in excess 90 to 100 km/hr increases your fuel consumption.
8. Avoid idling engine for more that 3 to 4 minutes. If stuck in traffic, switch engine off.

By adopting the above measures, you can reduce your fuel bills between 10 – 30%. That is a lot of money you can begin to save immediately.

Ford Fiesta Zetec – kitweonline

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