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.
Bringing a fleet together to achieve your overall goal
For a charity to operate, each moving cog has to work independently and in sync. From the volunteers in your shops to the fundraisers on the streets to the van drivers on the road, everyone has a part to play in your well-oiled machine.
You might have a different idea of which is most valuable, but we believe the core of your charity is your fleet. You could say we’re biased, but the fleet is the only way to get donated items from shop to customer or vice versa. If you want to achieve your goals, you need your fleet to work fluidly and flawlessly – every van and every driver.
Organising your staff
Let’s start with the drivers. Their job will be different every day. They’ll go to new places, meet new people, and who knows what strange items they’ll pick up along the way. Unfortunately, they’ll probably experience the same problems far too often. Traffic, road works, delays – all too frequent for their liking. It’s enough to put anyone in a sour mood.
But you need them at their best to deliver the best possible service. You can’t have them meeting donors with a foul attitude. There are ways you can make their lives easier (more on that in a minute) but you can still work on their morale.
Remind them why they’re doing what they’re doing. Whatever your cause is, it’s something worth fighting for. And don’t give them a vague notion, such as “you’re doing this to fight cancer” or “you’re doing this to help starving children”. Find an actual case study – an actual human being – they can connect with. A human face that shows what they’re doing matters.
Organising your fleet
If you want your drivers to be in a better mood, you can always give them the tools to get their job done right. A modern, efficient, environmentally friendly fleet is what you need. We know in charity, it can be tempting to save money by going for older models. But there’s a reason they call Euro 5 vehicles “dirty vans”. They are out of date and if you’re caught in a clean air zone operating one, you could be looking at a £1,200 fine.
It might seem like an expensive upfront cost, but choosing a Euro 6 van now will save you the hassle in the future. They are cleaner and more efficient, so you’re doing the right thing for your wallet and the environment.
You can also equip it with the latest technology with a host of tools your drivers will be grateful for. Even a simple GPS unit can help avoid unnecessary traffic delays. It can also help you at HQ keep track of where each vehicle is, who’s driving it, and what they’re upcoming stops are.
The greater good
It might seem counter-intuitive as a charity to spend money on your fleet. But it will actually help you bring in more money so you can help your cause. It comes back to what we were saying at the start – every cog needs to work smoothly. To meet your goals, you need to work at the most optimal. And to do that, your fleet needs to be the best it can be.
At Charity Fleetcare, we understand how important your fleet is to your operations. That’s why we’re dedicated to making it great. If you would like to discuss your fleet needs, feel free to get in touch on 0800 014 9797.
Increase your efficiency with fleet technology
For a charity to operate, each moving cog has to work independently and in sync. From the volunteers in your shops to the fundraisers on the streets to the van drivers on the road, everyone has a part to play in your well-oiled machine.
You might have a different idea of which is most valuable, but we believe the core of your charity is your fleet. You could say we’re biased, but the fleet is the only way to get donated items from shop to customer or vice versa. If you want to achieve your goals, you need your fleet to work fluidly and flawlessly – every van and every driver.
Organising your staff
Let’s start with the drivers. Their job will be different every day. They’ll go to new places, meet new people, and who knows what strange items they’ll pick up along the way. Unfortunately, they’ll probably experience the same problems far too often. Traffic, road works, delays – all too frequent for their liking. It’s enough to put anyone in a sour mood.
But you need them at their best to deliver the best possible service. You can’t have them meeting donors with a foul attitude. There are ways you can make their lives easier (more on that in a minute) but you can still work on their morale.
Remind them why they’re doing what they’re doing. Whatever your cause is, it’s something worth fighting for. And don’t give them a vague notion, such as “you’re doing this to fight cancer” or “you’re doing this to help starving children”. Find an actual case study – an actual human being – they can connect with. A human face that shows what they’re doing matters.
Organising your fleet
If you want your drivers to be in a better mood, you can always give them the tools to get their job done right. A modern, efficient, environmentally friendly fleet is what you need. We know in charity, it can be tempting to save money by going for older models. But there’s a reason they call Euro 5 vehicles “dirty vans”. They are out of date and if you’re caught in a clean air zone operating one, you could be looking at a £1,200 fine.
It might seem like an expensive upfront cost, but choosing a Euro 6 van now will save you the hassle in the future. They are cleaner and more efficient, so you’re doing the right thing for your wallet and the environment.
You can also equip it with the latest technology with a host of tools your drivers will be grateful for. Even a simple GPS unit can help avoid unnecessary traffic delays. It can also help you at HQ keep track of where each vehicle is, who’s driving it, and what they’re upcoming stops are.
The greater good
It might seem counter-intuitive as a charity to spend money on your fleet. But it will actually help you bring in more money so you can help your cause. It comes back to what we were saying at the start – every cog needs to work smoothly. To meet your goals, you need to work at the most optimal. And to do that, your fleet needs to be the best it can be.
At Charity Fleetcare, we understand how important your fleet is to your operations. That’s why we’re dedicated to making it great. If you would like to discuss your fleet needs, feel free to get in touch on 0800 014 9797.
How to improve the charity donor experience
For a charity to operate, each moving cog has to work independently and in sync. From the volunteers in your shops to the fundraisers on the streets to the van drivers on the road, everyone has a part to play in your well-oiled machine.
You might have a different idea of which is most valuable, but we believe the core of your charity is your fleet. You could say we’re biased, but the fleet is the only way to get donated items from shop to customer or vice versa. If you want to achieve your goals, you need your fleet to work fluidly and flawlessly – every van and every driver.
Organising your staff
Let’s start with the drivers. Their job will be different every day. They’ll go to new places, meet new people, and who knows what strange items they’ll pick up along the way. Unfortunately, they’ll probably experience the same problems far too often. Traffic, road works, delays – all too frequent for their liking. It’s enough to put anyone in a sour mood.
But you need them at their best to deliver the best possible service. You can’t have them meeting donors with a foul attitude. There are ways you can make their lives easier (more on that in a minute) but you can still work on their morale.
Remind them why they’re doing what they’re doing. Whatever your cause is, it’s something worth fighting for. And don’t give them a vague notion, such as “you’re doing this to fight cancer” or “you’re doing this to help starving children”. Find an actual case study – an actual human being – they can connect with. A human face that shows what they’re doing matters.
Organising your fleet
If you want your drivers to be in a better mood, you can always give them the tools to get their job done right. A modern, efficient, environmentally friendly fleet is what you need. We know in charity, it can be tempting to save money by going for older models. But there’s a reason they call Euro 5 vehicles “dirty vans”. They are out of date and if you’re caught in a clean air zone operating one, you could be looking at a £1,200 fine.
It might seem like an expensive upfront cost, but choosing a Euro 6 van now will save you the hassle in the future. They are cleaner and more efficient, so you’re doing the right thing for your wallet and the environment.
You can also equip it with the latest technology with a host of tools your drivers will be grateful for. Even a simple GPS unit can help avoid unnecessary traffic delays. It can also help you at HQ keep track of where each vehicle is, who’s driving it, and what they’re upcoming stops are.
The greater good
It might seem counter-intuitive as a charity to spend money on your fleet. But it will actually help you bring in more money so you can help your cause. It comes back to what we were saying at the start – every cog needs to work smoothly. To meet your goals, you need to work at the most optimal. And to do that, your fleet needs to be the best it can be.
At Charity Fleetcare, we understand how important your fleet is to your operations. That’s why we’re dedicated to making it great. If you would like to discuss your fleet needs, feel free to get in touch on 0800 014 9797.