Seven ways to beat the petrol price rise!

by Alison Hunt on 03 September 2009  |  16 comments
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If you're sick of paying through the nose for petrol, here are seven ways to beat the price hikes.

Petrol prices always seem to be on the up. But there are ways we can try and hit back and try and make those tanks of fuel last longer.

So make sure you check out these top tips:

1) Pay as little as you can

While we all know filling stations on motorways are expensive, there can be local price fluctuations, too.

There's obviously no point in driving for miles to save a few pence - so sign up with a company like petrolprices.com. It can email you a list of the five, cheapest filling stations (and the prices of petrol and diesel at each) in your local vicinity - you might be surprised how much the prices can vary.

2) Ditch the extra weight

How many of us trundle about each week with a boot load of "stuff", a roof rack that was left on since going on holiday or an un-needed tow bar?

Well we might think differently if we knew how much carting all that extra weight was costing us - a 100kg load can reduce mileage by up to 5 miles per gallon.

So remove racks when not using them, empty out unnecessary items and enjoy driving a more streamlined and efficient car!

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3) Perform some basic maintenance

While you're hopefully good at ensuring your vehicle is regularly serviced with filters, oil and spark plugs changed when required, when was the last time you checked your own tyre pressures, oil level and coolant?

A well maintained car is more fuel efficient - keep on top of these little jobs and not only will your vehicle be more reliable, it'll use less fuel too.

Under-inflated tyres can add up to 3% to your fuel bill; they'll wear down more quickly and could actually be dangerous, too.

And if your tyres don't appear to be wearing evenly, get them checked as they may need to be re-balanced (not only does this affect handling, it increases fuel consumption, too).

4) Reduce your car journeys

According to the Department for Transport, 25% of our car journeys are less than 2 miles long! Yikes.

Short trips, as we know use more fuel per mile than longer journeys as the car doesn't properly warm up. So why not just walk/cycle those shorter trips whenever possible?

Give it a try for a week - not only will you save money, you'll be getting some fresh air and exercise, too. Plus you could save even more by not having to use the gym!

5) Adjust your driving technique

Simple adjustments to the way you drive can save fuel - plus they'll reduce wear and tear on your car, too.

Harsh acceleration and braking can add up to 30% to your fuel bill. Ouch. So drive smoothly, anticipate the road ahead and slow down gradually for red lights. Try not to let your engine idle needlessly and switch it off when stationary for long periods.

Remember, every extra 10 miles of speed can cost you an extra 4p per mile, so temper your driving. Air conditioning can add 10% to your fuel bill, so switch it off if you don't need it - you can always open the air vents instead. But don't open the windows unless necessary as this adds drag to the car (which of course uses more fuel).

6) Filling tips

Try and use a busy filling station as the fuel you get is replenished frequently. Stations with less custom will have fuel sitting in the underground tanks for longer periods, which could affect quality.

Fill up when the fuel is coolest (early morning or late evening). Fuel becomes more dense at colder temperatures (and pumps measure according to volume, not density) so you'll effectively be getting a little more for your money.

And don't forget that fuel nozzles still have a surplus in them when you've stopped pressing the trigger - wait a few seconds for this to fully empty into your tank (not down the side of the car).

• Watch our video: The best value cars

7) Hypermiling

Finally, fancy getting 70mpg from a tank of fuel? Well there are a number of people in the United States who claim to do just that!

"Hypermiling" means altering the way you drive. And a lot of it is sensible stuff - accelerating smoothly, don't speed, slow down gradually and aim to get as many miles to the gallon as possible.

They recommend parking up a slight hill if possible so you can simply roll back to get out (termed "potential parking").

And cars are maintained with fuel efficiency in mind so air filters are changed very frequently (dirty ones can cut mileage by 10%).

However, some take things to the extreme - for example putting the lowest weight of oil in their cars as they reckon it improves engine efficiency, and filling tyres to the maximum listed level to reduce fuel usage.

Some even have tips recommending driving behind large vehicles on motorways for the best aerodynamic advantage. Hmm, I think there's a limit to how important saving fuel should be!

Give them a go!

So there you have it, seven tips that could really cut your fuel usage. Give them a go and see how long your tank can last.

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