Petrol and diesel prices have hit eye-popping new highs and show no sign of falling anytime soon. But despite what you think, there are ways to save on fuel – even if it means adjusting your driving style and habits. And while it’s certainly not easy to solve rising fuel costs, small changes can help keep those costs down to an acceptable minimum.

Reduce Weight

Is your car prone to messes? Maybe your car trunk is full of junk that could be stored at home quite easily? If you regularly drive around with unnecessary items, you’re wasting fuel by carrying more weight than you need. When you’re trying to optimize your car’s fuel economy, you can’t afford to carry unnecessary weight. This extra weight costs money, so ditch the cargo and travel with only the essentials for the trip.

Fill the tank little and often

Similar to how we talk about weight loss, you should try to visit gas stations more often, but fill up less gas. Remember that any excess weight you carry will affect your MPG and fuel economy. If you live near a gas station, try to fill up your car’s tank as often as possible. Refueling often may seem like a chore, but it will reduce the weight you have to carry from point A to point B, so you’ll never waste gas unnecessarily.

Reduce speed

If you think speed limits are too strict, you can’t argue that driving at high speeds uses more fuel. Believe it or not, speed limits aren’t just to deter drivers. In addition to safety, they are also designed to minimize fuel consumption and emissions. So, if you want to save gas, be more careful about how fast you drive and allow more time for your journey so that you can drive at a more fuel-efficient speed.

Clean the car’s fuel system

Cleaning your car’s fuel system may seem like a drastic way to save money on gas, but it’s a lot easier than you think — and well worth your time. Over time, dirt and deposits can build up in your car’s fuel system, which will interfere with engine performance and fuel economy. By cleaning your car’s fuel system, you can restore performance and ensure optimal MPG while keeping emissions to a minimum.

Start slowly

Did you know that your car burns more fuel in the first five miles of driving? This is because the engine has not reached its optimum operating temperature, so it burns more fuel for every kilometer driven. To reduce fuel wastage at the beginning of the trip, avoid sudden acceleration and sudden braking if possible. This not only saves fuel, but also reduces the load on the engine, which can also help save on future maintenance costs.

Check your tire pressure weekly

In addition to weight, tire pressure can greatly affect the economy of your trips. Just a few PSI below or above the recommended pressure and you can inadvertently increase rolling resistance, which means wasted fuel and poor overall drivability. To increase efficiency, we recommend weekly (or whenever you find time to check regularly) tire pressure. Tires naturally lose pressure, so monitor them closely to ensure they are always properly inflated.