Tackle the cost of living crisis on the road???

We are all painfully aware of the cost of living crisis gripping the nation right now, from fuel prices to energy prices to the cost of Lurpak! But what can be done on the road and with your vehicle to keep costs to a minimum? We've taken the time to list some tips that can help you keep more money in your wallet and out of the hands of energy companies.

Vehicle Weight

Keep your vehicle weight to an absolute minimum. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that in vans and trucks weighing between 2 and 3.8 tonnes, if you remove 100kg over 125,000 miles you can save up to ￡1,099. Weight therefore plays an important factor in fuel consumption and any efforts to reduce it should be taken seriously!

Air Conditioning Vs Windows Down

An age old question that millions of motorists ponder every summer, is it more fuel efficient to have my windows down or the air conditioning on??There are many factors to this question that make it difficult to replicate and verify but the general consensus is 45mph. Below 45mph it is more efficient to have the windows open to get the cool breeze flowing through, above 45mph it is more fuel efficient to have the A/C on.?

Interestingly, air conditioning also affects the fuel efficiency of combustion types differently. A study by Emissions Analytics found that with the A/C on fuel efficiency drops by 6.1% in hybrid cars, 3.8% for standard petrol and 4.6% for diesel cars.

Driving Style

How you drive your vehicle also plays an important part in overall efficiency. It goes without saying that the faster you drive the more fuel you use, but it is worth considering how smooth your overall driving is.?

Steady acceleration and braking can lead to small increases in MPG compared to quick changes in speed, to make the most of this it is best to leave a large gap between you and the vehicle in front to not be affected by small amounts of braking and speed changes. Looking further ahead and trying to spot factors that will affect your speed will also help out in the long term.

Tyres

In heavily ladened vehicles correct tyre pressures are vitally important not only to safety but for fuel economy too. A study by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that a decrease of 1% in tyre pressure leads to a 0.3% decrease in fuel economy, so when tyre pressures are 10% below optimum there is a 2% decrease in fuel efficiency. Considering how easy and cheap it is to keep tyres pumped up, it is a simple factor to keep on top of to save money while on the road.

While all of these might seem small individually, together they can save you a large amount of money per year in fuel. We hope these tips go some way to helping you save money this year!

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