With a tank of fuel costing £30 – £40 more, it won’t come as a surprise to hear that hardly a week goes by without someone asking for advise on how best to reduce fuel consumption. So, we’ve put together a few tips that can help you with this.
Charity Fleetcare’s Top Tips for Reducing Fuel Costs
Gentle right foot: highest gear possible within the speed limit
Excessive speed is the biggest fuel-guzzling factor so having a light right foot and ensuring all acceleration is gentle is very important to fuel-efficient driving.
Anticipate: try not to lose momentum
In line with the above point, keeping the car moving at the right speed is essential to fuel economy. Obviously, this depends on traffic conditions and what’s happening on the road ahead, but slowing down and having to accelerate again naturally uses more fuel.
Air pressure: keep tyres inflated to manufacturers recommendations
Tyre pressures can have a significant impact on fuel consumption. Under inflated tyres create greater resistance on the road surface. This means the engine has to work harder to push you forward.
Use cruise control where most appropriate
Cruise control only aids fuel economy when driving on a constant flat surface, hence why it is usually best reserved for motorway driving.
Don’t get dragged down
Don’t leave your roof bars and roof box on because they create wind resistance and cause your car to use more fuel through the ‘drag’ effect. This is increased the faster you drive.
Does the AC and heat use fuel?
Yes, it does. Don’t use your air conditioning unless you really have to as it uses engine power and therefore increases fuel consumption. This goes for heat as well as cooling, so try to dress for the weather, even inside your car, if fuel efficiency is a big concern.
Combine journeys: a warm engine is more efficient
Consider making one round trip rather than several short trips. Once the engine is warm it will operate at its most efficient whereas several cold starts will increase fuel consumption even though the total mileage could be the same. Consider vehicle Connected Technology to help plan your routes in a more fuel efficient way.
Make sure you maintain your vehicle
Regular maintenance and servicing improves the efficiency of your vehicle, and therefore can improve your fuel consumption.
Knowing all this is one thing, ensuring your drivers conform to best practise is another. Through real-time driver behavioural monitoring, in cab driver coaching, optimised route planning and real-time re-routing, Charity Fleetcares Connected Technology is helping our charity fleets reduce their fuel costs by ca 15%. Find out more about it here.