Make your fuel last longer

With the Automobile Association (AA) forecasting a fuel price increase of up to 55 cents per litre, already cash-strapped consumers will have to make the most of every tank of fuel.

“Poorly maintained vehicles and bad driving habits are the main culprits when it comes to high fuel consumption,” said Graham Graggs, spokesperson for Budget Insurance.

Graggs continued, “If you want to save, and keep your vehicle running for longer, investing in good maintenance and changing your driving habits to economy mode are essential.”

Budget Insurance provides the following tips for better fuel economy:

• Make sure your vehicle is serviced regularly. Things like worn spark plugs, sticky brakes, low coolant levels, dirty oil, and dirty fuel- and air filters all add to engine inefficiency, which leads to increased fuel consumption
• Check your vehicle’s wheel alignment. Bad wheel alignment causes more friction, which takes more power to overcome and results in higher fuel consumption
• Check for underinflated tyres, as these, too, increase resistance
• Close the vehicle’s windows when driving, as open windows cause drag
• Reduce the vehicle’s weight by removing unnecessary items from it and, if you mostly do urban driving, consider driving with only half a tank of fuel
• Reduce drag by removing roof racks and other accessories when they aren’t in use
• Don’t ‘floor it’. Rather accelerate gradually
• Don’t speed
• Avoid stop-starting. Maintain momentum as far as possible by looking and planning ahead, flowing with traffic and timing your approaches to hills, traffic lights and crossings
• Drive at the lowest speed in the highest gear that the road and traffic conditions allow, without labouring the engine
• Use the air conditioner only when necessary
• Plan your trips more carefully and do several tasks on one round trip, as opposed to many shorter ones. This not only limits mileage and the amount of time it takes to get your chores done, it also keeps your car’s engine running at optimal temperature
• Wait out the traffic. If traffic is heavily congested, spend a bit more time at the office to tick more items off your to-do list, or stop at a spot where you can have coffee or a bite to eat. Battling through traffic not only increases fuel consumption but also wear and tear on your car’s transmission and brakes
• Keep your finger on the pulse by reading or listening to up-to-date traffic reports and monitoring your GPS for faster routes.

“Saving on fuel by keeping your car in tip-top shape and changing the way you drive may seem like a bit of a hassle, but if you fill up 48 times a year at R700 per tank, a 40 per cent reduction in fuel consumption could save you more than R13 000 a year,” Craggs added.