12 ways to save money with your car
As part of a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle reducing your dependency on fossil fuels should be your goal. With petrol costs and pollution increasing you probably don't need any encouragement!
A simple view to take would be to get rid of the car. That's not practical for the vast majority of us, certainly not where I'm living. So below are some sure fire ways to reduce your costs and consumption.
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Tire pressure: Check your car's manual or google it. There are recommended tire pressures for all makes and models. The pressure will differ from front to rear. Now check your tire pressure every week and before any big journey at the the local petrol station and top up as needed. Slightly flat tires take much more energy to run than full ones.
Not only is it safer, it can save you up to 10% in petrol and best of it's completely free to do.
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Slow down: A simple one really. When you are accelerating do it slowly. Your wasting loads of petrol when you put your foot down. Once your above 50 - 60 mph the engine gets more and more inefficient.
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The right gear: Don't drive down the motorway in 4th when you have a 5th gear. Sounds obvious I know but getting the right gear means less petrol.
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Close the windows: Driving down the road with the wind in your hair uses up petrol. You're basically causing drag and making the engine work harder.
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Roof racks: If your not using your roof rack take it off. Again your adding drag to to your car and reducing fuel efficiency.
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Change the air filter: You don't need to be a mechanic to do this. You car's manual will tell you how to. Basically if your air filter is clogged up the engine is working harder at getting oxgyen in. Again check your manual, in general you should be changing it once a year or every 15,000 miles.
Here's a great example:
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Get rid of weight: Empty your boot and take any heavy objects out of your car. You just burning more petrol.
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Don't fill to the top: When you fill up your tank to the top it's going to add a lot of unnecessary weight to the car. Do small regular fill ups instead.
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Change your oil and oil filter: Over time your oil gets dirty. When you change it you are improving lubrication. Better lubrication means less friction and a more efficient engine. Make sure you get the recommended oil for you car car. Try the manual or a quick google if you are unsure.
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Turn off the engine: Don't sit there with the engine running when you are parked up. It takes about 10 seconds of fuel to start up a car. If your planning on being stationery for more than 10 seconds it's more fuel efficient to turn it off.
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Take the long way round: Sometimes it's better to take a longer route if it means less stopping and starting at junctions and traffic lights. City traffic is a killer when it comes to fuel consumption.
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Car pool: Share the school run or trip to work. A guaranteed way to save money, reduce traffic and pollution.
