Different ways of saving on fuel

Announcements of yet another petrol price increase, by the Department of Energy, seem to be hitting the news circuits more frequently than a taxi driver violates the road rules to get his passengers to their destinations on time. In reality the taxi driver’s questionable take on advanced driving has nothing to do with getting his passengers to work and school on time, but everything to do with filling his seats up with a fresh load of paying commuters. And while fellow road users sitting in their own cars are pondering questions such as how to drive efficiently to save fuel, the taxi-riding commuters unfortunately bear the costs associated with these intermittent petrol price hikes, passed on to them through the subsequent fare hikes. Driving more efficiently does indeed make for one of the many ways to save petrol, an option amongst the many others available which is unfortunately only available to those of us who do own our own motor vehicles.

Finding the right car for you

Saving money on fuel as a result of cutting down on the fuel consumption rate of your vehicle ultimately comes down to driving the right car as well as how you drive. So it’s all about getting around in the right car for you. As the responsible adult you demonstrate yourself to be in seeking out ways to save on fuel, the right car for you is naturally not anything like one which has the most ‘pimped-out’ sound system or makes the loudest exhaust noise when you crank up the revs – no.

The right car for you is the one whose optimal fuel efficiency kicks-in based on your unique driving style and habits. Does driving slower save fuel, for instance? It really depends on the car you’re driving, doesn’t it?
A car with a bigger engine, designed with the long-distance driver in mind, won’t do much in the way of saving fuel as a result of being driven slower, for example, whereas a more practical everyday car like one which has a 1.6 litre engine might be revealed to have a better fuel-consumption rate driven at slower, steadier speeds. Either way, it it’s all about finding the right car for you and fortunately there’s always a Convenient Deal 4 U, waiting to be snapped up, whether you want to buy a brand new car, you want to trade-in your existing one, or even if you want an additional vehicle which better fits the specifically identified driving habits that will help you save on the fuel you burn.

Once you have the right car, driving habits will consolidate on the fuel savings, such as:

• Avoiding stop-start driving,
• Avoiding unnecessary idling,
• Being economic with the use of your air-conditioner,
• Inflating your tyres properly (more drag as a result of improperly inflated tyres consumes more fuel),
• Avoiding unnecessary low-gear driving, and
• Avoiding high-speed driving with the windows wide open