The cost of filling up your tank is increasing every month and come April, a shocking tariff hike of up to R2 per litre is going to stifle the publics ability to travel.
Whilst nothing can be done currently about the price increases, there are a few ways that motorists cab make their fuel go further:
Make sure your car is kept clutter-free
Naturally, when you’re carrying a heavy load, your car doesn’t perform as well on the road. These long inclines are harder work and will lead to you putting your foot down, or changing down a gear to keep the speed up – all of which uses additional fuel. Instead, have a clear out of items in your car.
Keep your fuel tank level low
Another tip is to keep your fuel tank level reasonably low, rather than topped up all the time. Diesel is heavy, with 70 litres coming in at over 57 kgs.
Take all non-regularly used bike racks and ladder racks off your vehicle
Did you know that you use more fuel to push these items through the air? Unless you’re using a bike or ladder regularly, take the rack off your vehicle. If you do, however, need a roof rack, then keep it clear of loads as much as possible. Find somewhere secure at home or work to store it, as the savings in fuel can be considerable.
Keep your tyres pumped up
Often motorists only check their tyre pressure once they have a puncture. However, this is a costly mistake. Low tyre pressures create heat and friction with the tread and sidewalls flexing, with research showing that you use an additional 3% fuel for every 10% your tyres are under-inflated. Not only that, tyres with insufficient pressure lead to poor handling of the vehicle with the potential for loss of control and accidents.
Limit your use of the aircon
Many of us leave the air conditioning switched on all year round, overriding it when necessary with the heater. Try and get into the habit of turning it off when you don’t need it, it can be quite a drain on fuel when in operation.
Never skip a service
This is extremely important as something as simple as a blocked air filter will result in poor performance and higher fuel consumption. A brake that is binding slightly can have a dramatic effect on your fuel consumption.
Don’t forget, if your vehicle is under warranty or subject to a lease agreement, it’s important to keep your service history up to date.
Keep your windows closed
All that buffeting you get in the cab when you have the window open, even slightly, doesn’t come for free and fuel is burnt to generate it. If you don’t need the window open, close it.
Always pre-plan your journeys
Probably the single, most effective way of lowering your fuel bill is to reduce the mileage you drive and to avoid time-consuming and costly congestion. Plan your routes carefully using real-time data such as that offered by Google Maps.
Idling isn’t ideal
Never keep your car’s engine idling for longer than a minute or so. Reason being is that this burns unnecessary amounts of fuel and also expends more combustion gasses into the atmosphere. So if caught in a stop-go road maintenance scenario, for example, it’s best to turn off your engine until the path ahead is open again. Simple.
Drive as if you have a bowl of water on the passenger seat
Every time you apply the brakes, energy that you’ve paid for in fuel is being lost in heat generated by the brake pads and discs.
Don’t rev the engine unnecessarily when accelerating, just move gently through the gears, keeping the engine speed to a reasonable level, but without labouring it by being in too high a gear.
