Fuel prices seem to get ever more expensive by the day, so finding ways to reduce your fuel consumption has never been more relevant. We at CMH Honda The Glen are all about the customer so we have come up with 5 fuel saving tips that can help you make a difference in your monthly fuel expenditure.
Here are 5 simple fuel saving tips from CMH Honda the Glen:
- Make fewer trips
Did you know that when you drive a car that has been parked for a few hours, the engine is cold and it uses much more fuel for the first five miles or so? Ideally, you’d want to combine all your daily errands into one big trip. Although we know this is probably not possible our suggestion is to make a few big trips rather than a lot of small ones. - Close the windows (and sunroof, if you’ve got one)
It’s not so much of a problem when you’re driving in town, but when you’re out of town or on the highway and moving more quickly, the shape of your car is very important. Car designers call it aerodynamics and make lots of effort to reduce the ‘drag’ and make the car as sleek as possible. Anything that makes wind noise as your car goes along is actually making your car more expensive to run. You can’t do much about the design of your car, but you can avoid making it worse by not leaving the windows and sunroof open. It’s better to use the air vents for most of the year, and the air-conditioning when it gets too hot. - Accelerate smoothly
The perfect way to travel is at a constant speed (ideally around 60km), and in the highest gear (five or six). So if you’re a patient driver, you’ll have lower fuel costs – it’s as simple as that. It’s unrealistic to avoid overtaking but there’s little point accelerating past a car to simply be in front of them at the next set of lights – any instant gratification will appear on your fuel slip the next time you fill up. - Don’t push the accelerator down too far
This one always surprises people. It’s not just to do with what gear you’re in. You may be in a high gear and travelling at a sensible speed, but if you’re pushing the accelerator down a long way to avoid changing into a lower gear (into third from fourth, for example), then you’re actually using more fuel not less. Obviously, if your car has an automatic gearbox (you’ll know if it does), then it will probably do a better job than you of choosing which gear to be in, so it’s not a problem. - Check your tyre pressures regularly
The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel the car needs to move it down the road. We recommend that you take five minutes every fortnight to check the tyres. If you’re not sure what the pressure should be, you can come into the dealership and we can help you with the tyre pressure. Show you exactly where it should be and how to keep your tyres in a good condition.
With the ever-increasing fuel prices, we hope our input assists in saving money and fuel
