10 savvy petrol saving tips

Petrol prices are like the weather: you can hardly predict it! Some weeks petrol is $1.60 and the next it’s $1.35, but one this we can all agree on is that we want to use less and get the most out of a tank.

There’s soon to be an annual review of the petrol industry but it’s unsure whether we will ever see rock bottom prices for fuel anytime in the near future, so we have compiled some of the best tips for saving fuel and saving a few dollars!

1. Reduce your speed

Speeding is an obvious one but the more you speed, the more fuel you will use. On a highway, driving at 90 km/h as opposed to 110 km/h can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent.

2. Check tyre pressure

Flat tyres can slow you down and make your fuel go a shorter distance. Simply go to your nearest petrol station and pump up your tyres yourself on a preset machine, or take your car to the mechanic where they should be able to do it for free.

3. Accelerate properly

It’s tempting to want to push the pedal down hard, especially in an auto to compensate for gear change, but it’s been found that this rapid increase in speed and revving can be wasting your precious petrol! Once your auto car gets into gear, pull off the accelerator a bit.

4. Park your car in the shade

This one’s a good tip because so many of us park outside at the shopping centre or even our house, but did you know that the sun can evaporate your fuel much faster? If you can’t park in the shade, try to cover your petrol tank (usually towards the back of the car)

5. Filling up

– fill the tank to the top. The money you try to save by putting in $20 today, then $20 tomorrow will be wasted by driving to the servo and waiting.
– always run above a quarter of a tank because any less will shorten the life of the electric fuel pump
– don’t push down too hard on the pump as you may be pumping air and vapours into your tank.

6. Avoid idling

If you have a choice to drive or catch public transport, always choose the latter. Idling in traffic wastes a large portion of our fuel when it doesn’t need to. Also, if you’re in a drive-thru or waiting for someone in a shop, turn the car off.

7. Plan your trip before you go

How many of us have made plans to go somewhere unfamiliar and have got lost along the way? All of us! With modern technology it is easy to find the quickest route to your destination. Simply Google the address and print it out or program your GPS before you leave.

8. Select the right gear

If you drive a manual car, it is as bad for fuel consumption to be in a higher gear than it is to be in a lower gear, so it’s best to listen to your car and if you find the engine struggling, change the gear up or down.

9. Clean out your car

A heavy car will make your trip longer and use up your tank sooner, so if you have any unnecessary items in your car, take them out and notice the difference!

10. Turn off your aircon

Airconditioning is a lovely, simple luxury in the car but it actually uses about 10 per cent more fuel when on. With that said, if you’re on the highway, it is more fuel efficient to use the aircon vs the breeze!

Extra tip for petrol discounts:

If you see a discount of 4c off a litre and are making the mistake of filling up at the normal price then getting a dollar or so off the total, like $28.88, all you need to do when you pull up is use your phone’s calculator. If the regular price is 148.9 cents but is 144.9 cents with the discount, divide the amount you want to spend, say $30, by the new amount: 30 / 1.449 (move the decimal place so it is a dollar amount) = how many litres to put in at the pump. Once you get to the counter, present your discount voucher and the total should be exactly $30 minus the discounts!

Do you have any other tips to add? What do you do to save money on petrol?