Fuel is one of the biggest costs of owning a vehicle. This cost has been made even bigger by recent price increases. Fortunately however, there are many ways to reduce fuel costs from adapting the way you drive to shopping around for rates. Below are 7 tips for saving money on fuel.
Get rid of unnecessary weight
The heavier your car, the more fuel your car needs to consume to pull this weight. This is why it’s a good idea to remove unnecessary heavy objects from your vehicle. This could include work tools, empty roof boxes and heavy sports equipment that you’re not planning to use on that journey.
Keep your tires well inflated
Underinflated tires have increased rolling resistance. This means that your car has to work harder and burn more fuel to get the tires moving. It’s important to regularly check your tires’ pressure in order to keep them well inflated and conserve fuel. Keeping tires properly inflated can also extend the life of your tires and improve handling.
Use the highest gear
If you’re driving a manual car, consider the gears that you are using. Driving in the highest gear possible can reduce revs and cause you to consume less fuel. If you’re constantly slow to change up a gear, you could notice that you make much more frequent trips to the gas station.
Brake progressively
Braking early can reduce the chance of having to roll to a standstill. In many cases, you may be able to slow down gradually enough that a light changes before you reach it, allowing you to keep moving. By having to stop and take off less, you’ll likely use less fuel - setting off from stationary and accelerating up to speed can consume a lot of fuel, and you can reduce the need to do this by not having to stop as often.
Buy a hybrid/electric car
Hybrid cars can reduce fuel costs by as much as half. This is because hybrids have an additional electric battery that gets charged up as you’re driving - when your fuel is low, the car is able to switch to this electric battery, extending the amount of miles you get before having to visit a gas station. Dealerships like Edmunds supply lots of different hybrids to choose from. There’s also the option of going fully-electric, which can also save you a lot of money - especially if you take advantage of free public charging stations.
Replace short journeys with walking/cycling
A simple way to use less fuel is to use your car less often. Some of us use our car to drive around the block and see a friend when walking and cycling is likely to only take a few more minutes. Try to get into the habit of cutting out these small journeys. It will not only save you money, but also serve as some extra exercise within your day.
Compare local gas prices
Gas stations all charge slightly different prices. Using certain apps, it’s possible to compare the prices of different gas stations in your area. Even if you only save a dollar each time, this will add up in the long run. This post at Forbes compares a few different apps that you can use.
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