How you can reduce your petrol bill
Rising petrol prices are gouging motorists’ hip pockets. We take a look at how petrol prices are set and what you can do to reduce your fuel bills.
Tips on cutting your petrol bill
• Drive carefully. Higher speeds use more fuel. Hard acceleration or braking also burn up petrol.
• If you’re driving a manual, make sure you’re in the right gear. If your car is working too hard, it’s burning too much petrol.
• Avoid driving in peak periods. Constantly stopping and starting your car, or spending long periods idling in traffic, wastes fuel.
• Buy a car that suits your needs - big and powerful cars use more fuel, so if you don’t need the extra size and power, don’t buy it.
• Avoid short trips - walk or cycle instead if the weather is fine. You use up to 20 per cent more fuel when your engine is cold.
• Service your car regularly. Clean the air filters keep impurities in the air from damaging the engine and can improve fuel economy.
• Keep your tyres pumped up to the manufacturer’s recommendations and make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Under-inflated tyres reduce fuel efficiency.
• Airconditioners can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent – so use sparingly.
• Travel light - the more a car carries, the more fuel it uses – up to 2 per cent more for every 50kg.
• Reduce drag – remove roof racks or bull bars if you don’t use them.
• Don’t wait until your tank is almost empty to fill up, because then you’ll be forced to buy at the nearest service station, rather than being able to shop around.
Source: News.com.au
Tags: fuel economy, how to save money, interesting, tips