accelerator pedalOver the last year I’ve been commuting to the Sixt Rent a Car head offices in Chesterfield from my home in Leeds and have been facing a constant battle since I joined, getting the most out of my car’s fuel efficiency. With petrol prices almost constantly fluctuating, but still remaining in excess of £1.10 per litre, I’m usually looking at spending quite a lot of money per month on petrol just to get to work.

With this in mind I’ve been learning various ways of improving the amount of travel I can get from my fuel tank and have compiled a little list of tips that I’ve found have worked for me.

Smooth Driving

The aim here is to limit the amount of sudden braking and quick acceleration you might normally do in your car. By looking further ahead on the road it is much easier to react to any problems that lie ahead allowing you to manoeuvre way in advance and keep your speed constant. This especially rings true on the motorways in the UK, not only are you able to plan your moves way in advance and save fuel but also this works out as a far safer way of driving.

Reduce Speed

Now I’ll admit that if I did this in both directions to work I would probably save more money, but in general I only tend to manage my speed on the way home from work. The normal case in the morning is ensuring that I get to work on time or early, but on the way home just a drop of 10 mph can be over 10% more efficient when it comes to fuel consumption, even more so if you drop to a lower speed.

Test your Oil Level

Engines are the mechanical heart of the car, without it beating properly and regularly it can very quickly stop and grind to a halt. The oil is essential to making sure the pistons in the engine run smoothly in their cylinders, a lack of oil in the engine means it has to work harder and burn more fuel to get the pistons pumping as they should. Conversely an excess of oil can pollute the engine’s fuel supply, leading to more fuel being required to get the pistons going in your engine.

Check your Tyres

A slightly deflated car tyre has the effect of increasing the tyre’s resistance on the road, this increase in friction will lead to much higher fuel consumption. This doesn’t need testing on a daily basis, but simply checking every week will help save you plenty of money throughout the year.

Hopefully this bit of advice will help you save money on your fuel bill and I wish you luck on your new fuel efficient journeys.

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