Your Driving Could Be Costing You Hundreds More Than It Should!

With fuel prices reaching record levels, it has rarely been more expensive to fill your car up at the pumps ever increasing that credit card debt. Even though many vehicles are now more fuel efficient, there are still dozens of ways that you can ensure you get maximum mileage from every last drop of fuel. Here are seven ways to improve your driving and therefore save money on filling up your car.

1 Slow down - The easiest way to use less fuel is to slow down. The Department of Transport estimates that the most fuel-efficient driving speed is 56 miles per hour. Reducing your speed from 62 mph to 56 mph will reduce your fuel consumption by around 10 per cent whilst the AA says that driving at 70 mph instead of 85 mph on motorways decreases petrol consumption by between 20 and 25 per cent.

2 Ditch the roof rack - A full roof rack will lead to you using 5% extra fuel, amazingly, even an empty roof rack can add to a car's fuel consumption from anywhere between 1-3% depending on how it's constructed and attached. So if a roof rack is an essential for you, try getting a car where you can take it off when you are not using it.

3 Walk - Think of all the times you've used the car in the last few days and then think how easy it could have been to walk, cycle or take public transport? If your using the car to just go down to the local shops or around town it could be much easier not taking the car in some cases, even consider car sharing for some of your regular trips, for instance the run to the shops or work commute.

4 Tune your motor - A cared for car will run better, cleaner and efficiently. Get your car serviced when it should be, keep it clean and deal with any faults quickly and you will be getting the best out of it. Make sure your not loosing fuel and oil any other way. Check the drive for signs of leaks and get them fixed.

Other exterior checks should include checking the tyre pressures. Bad roads and poor driving conditions, such as rain, wind or snow, can have a huge effect on fuel consumption, adding up to 10% extra! By ensuring your tyre pressures are correct you limit the friction between your vehicle and the road, saving around 5% in petrol consumption.

5 Take care - Constantly shifting from the brake to the accelerator can not only disturb your passengers but also increases your fuel consumption. A more steady style uses less fuel and this can be achieved by being more careful and aware of the other road users ahead. Most fuel is used during acceleration so by reducing the need to accelerate reduced your fuel consumption. Regard hard or frequent use of the accelerator as your failure to read road conditions.

6 Reduce your power consumption - In essence the energy used inside your car comes from the engine. The radio, the windows, wipers are all electrically driven via the battery which is in turn charged from the engine. The air con is the biggest draw on power using it can increase fuel consumption by up to 11%, don't be tempted to wind down the window instead though as this has a detrimental effect too. To save on fuel keep windows up, air con off and sweat.

So, use 'flow-through' ventilation and switch your air conditioning off. A sunroof can also reduce the requirement for air conditioning, but when the sunroof is open at motorway speeds, wind resistance is increased meaning you actually use slightly more fuel.

7 Planning is the key to a successful journey - Traffic jams are the driver's nemesis. Not only do they waste time but they use up your valuable fuel. Planning your journey and checking on traffic reports can help you avoid jams and peak time traffic. Know the route and check it's the fastest way of getting there. Take a map or of course nowadays your sat nav. I would always check my sat nav route against a map just in case. If you do end up in a jam consider turning off your engine as no matter how efficient your car is, standing still with the engine on, is very wasteful.

As someone who drives it makes me cry every time I have to fill up, so all this reall, really helps!

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