Tips for Improving your Fuel Efficiency

Fuel consumption largely depends on the type of car and journeys that you drive, but there are some changes that you can make that can help you to improve your efficiency and save money on fuel.

Car Maintenance

Looking after your car and ensuring that all components are working smoothly can help to improve your fuel economy. This includes:

• Getting your car serviced regularly as this will ensure that your engine is working as effectively as possible. You should aim to have your car serviced every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first, to keep everything working efficiently.
• Check your tyre pressures every month and before long journeys, adjusting them accordingly to avoid excess fuel consumption. This is because under inflated tyres require more momentum, and therefore more fuel, to make them move!
• It is also a good idea to remove any unnecessary weight from your car where you can. Only use bike racks and ski boxes when necessary and remove any heavy items from your car if you do not require them.

Whilst Driving

As well as preparing your vehicle before you hit the road, there are a few positive changes you can make whilst driving to help to reduce fuel economy. These changes include:

• Simply closing your windows and sunroof when driving at high speeds can have an impact on your fuel consumption. When your vehicle is travelling at fast speeds, open windows and sun roofs cause drag on the vehicle and reduce its aerodynamic properties. For this reason, you should use the air conditioning, if you have it, for high speed driving.
• Alternatively, when driving at lower speeds you should open your windows if you get too hot and try to avoid using your air conditioning! The air conditioning system has a large impact on your fuel consumption so only use it when necessary.

Driving Style

The way that you drive can also have an impact upon your fuel economy and you can make a few small adjustments to help reduce your consumption.

• Avoid aggressive braking and accelerating when driving to avert excess fuel consumption. Driving smoothly uses less fuel and is more comfortable for your passengers!
• Drive in higher gears when possible and change up sooner as this allows your engine to run more smoothly and in turn this means that it requires less fuel.
• Try to slow down when driving if you want to see a difference in your fuel consumption as driving at faster speeds uses a significantly larger amount of fuel.
• Driving in traffic requires a large amount of fuel as your vehicle uses a larger amount of fuel to keep stopping and starting. Consider different routes or travelling at different times if you frequently find yourself sat in stop-start traffic.

If you have recently noticed an unexpected rise in fuel consumption there may be an underlying problem with your vehicle. In this case you should contact your local Merityre Specialists for a check.