Top 10 Tips for better fuel economy

There are a lot of things you and me can do to make genuine fuel economy improvements right now, and for free. Often you'll find a lot of products claiming to be a Silver Bullet, often making outlandish claims that their gadget will not only save you fuel, but also improve horsepower. We're unconvinced.

However, these top 10 tips are tried and tested ideas that really do make a positive difference to your car's fuel economy. So, have a read of these top 10 tips and start making savings straight away!

1 - Drive smoothly

Driving like a Boy-Racer by aggressively accelerating or breaking not only makes you look like a bit of a fool, but it wastes fuel too - up to 60% more in fact! When pulling away from the lights, try to accelerate gently.

2 - Read the road ahead

When driving, try to look ahead and read the conditions of the road - look out for anything that might require you to slow down or stop such as traffic lights or someone attempting to park. By anticipating what is coming up, you'll not only be a safer driver, but you'll save fuel by starting to slow down early and not needing to come to a stop.

3 - Don't rev the engine!

Ok so it might sound cool, but revving the engine whilst stationary does nothing except waste fuel!

4 - Use the gears sensibly

Some of us have a love-hate relationship with the gear stick, but the fact of the matter is that correct use of gears can make huge savings on your fuel bill of up to 15%! Make sure you change up into a higher gear as soon as its possible and safe to do so.

5 - Stick to the limit

Easy cowboy! Doing 80mph on the motorway will use between 10% and 20% more fuel than doing 70mph, not to mention its illegal! For a 20 mile motorway journey, driving at 80mph will only save you about 2 minutes compared to driving at 70mph anyway!

If you're not in a hurry to get anywhere, doing 70mph will use between 20% and 30% more fuel than doing 50mph - suddenly being stuck behind a lorry doesn't seem so bad!

6 - Check your tyres

Make sure you check your tyre pressures reguarly (at least once every 2 weeks). An under-inflated tyre can increase fuel consumption by 3%, and it will wear out quicker too. Check your owner's manual for the correct pressures.

7 - Don't "warm up" the engine

When starting on those cold mornings, don't leave your car running to warm it up. It causes unnecessary engine wear, as well as wasting fuel. Instead invest in some decent de-icer and try to drive off straight away - so long as you can see where you are going!

8 - Avoid short trips

It is so easy to just hop in the car to pop down to the corner shop to pickup your Sunday papers, but a cold engine will generally use twice as much fuel as a warm engine. Walk instead - the exercise will do you good!

9 - Turn off the Air Conditioning

Air Conditioning is great in the hot summer months, but only use it when you really need to and just use the blowers the rest of the time - try to avoid opening the windows when driving at speed as this can increase aerodynamic drag which will waste more fuel. Running the air con when you don't need it will waste a lot of fuel.

10 - Keep your car in tip-top condition

Try to keep your car well maintained by making sure the recommended service schedule is followed either by taking it to a reputable garage, or servicing it yourself. A well-tuned engine with fresh, clean oil and new air filters will run more efficiently than an engine that has been neglected.

Fuel-Economy.co.uk has gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, however please be aware it is provide only as a guide.