Since the start of 2022, many people and families are having to adjust with a new financial reality due to sky-rocketing inflation. Saving money on fuel will be vital in 2022. Indeed, petrol prices have already hit record levels this year and although prices may ease slightly, there are worries about further increases in the future. Navigating this difficult financial period can be hard. But there are ways you can save fuel and protect the value of your car. Read on to find out.
Basic things to do before you can save fuel
Before anything else, you should adopt the right driving technique to save fuel beyond vehicle manufacturers’ stated efficiency. This technique is called hypermiling. You’ll begin this process by monitoring your miles per gallon, getting your car serviced regularly, switching the air con off and removing any unnecessary weight from the car. From there, you can adopt driving techniques to save fuel. By driving defensively, carefully limiting your brake usage, slowing down and coasting, you’ll be able to boost your fuel efficiency. Just remember that these techniques should only be adopted safely – if the road isn’t right to slow down and coast, you should drive normally.
Choose the most efficient route and tyres
Choosing the most efficient route can help you save fuel. Indeed, your car is at its most efficient when you’re able to cruise along without braking or accelerating rapidly. Ideally, you’ll be able to choose a route before your journey that combines low mileages with a lack of traffic. Just take two minutes before each journey to work out the best route. On top of this, by choosing the right tyres you can boost your fuel efficiency too. For instance, if your tyres are deflated, drag will be increased and you’ll use more fuel. But by having them at an appropriate air pressure, you’ll find that you’ll save more fuel. As such, it’s well worth replacing tyres whenever you notice an issue.
What to do to protect the value of your car
If you’re looking to save money on fuel, you’re probably also interested in protecting the value of your car. After all, cars depreciate at a rapid rate – it’s worth preserving this asset as much as possible and this can be easy to forget as this is an invisible cost that you can’t see until you sell your car. One way you can achieve this is through gap insurance. You may ask what is gap insurance? It’s a way to cover the difference between your insurance offer at the point your car is written off and the value of your car when you bought it. Alternatively, you can maintain your car records, drive less, avoid smoking in the vehicle and take care of the interior. Saving fuel can seem like a hassle, but your savings each month will accumulate nicely in the long run. And by following the guide above, you should be all set to save.
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