HOW TO DRIVE DOWN THE COSTS ON THE ROAD

A few small changes can save you money

GOOD news for motorists - fuel duty has been frozen for the ninth consecutive year.

In Monday’s Budget, the government kept the current rate of 57.95p on each litre of petrol and diesel.

But if you want to make sure you are keeping the costs as low as possible, here’s how you can improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

Start by clearing out any unnecessary baggage - the lighter your car is, the less effort it needs to accelerate.

On average, every 50kg you ride around with increases your petrol consumption by 2%.

Keep your tyres inflated. Lower tyre pressure increases the drag on a car, meaning you need more fuel.

Take your foot off the accelerator. Research has found driving at 80mph uses to up to 25% more fuel than motoring at 70mph.

Sudden acceleration and braking will also drain it further.

Ditch the air con unless you really need it. It uses up a huge amount of fuel - up to 10% in traffic.

It’s generally more efficient to drive with the windows down and air con off at lower speeds but at higher speeds, it’s better to have the air con on and windows up due to the extra drag caused by having the windows down.

Don’t fill up. Fuel is heavy, so the more you put in, the more weight you are adding.

Put a bit less in and fill up more often to make your car run efficiently.

Plan your journey. Avoid traffic black spots and busy times where possible. And make sure you work out your route with a map or sat nav before setting off. You won’t get lost and end up driving further than necessary.

Read the road. Build up momentum when going downhill to help you get uphill rather than accelerating more. The easiest way to do this to watch the road as if you were on a bike and accelerate accordingly.

Or if you are just doing a short journey, think about leaving the car behind and walking or cycling. You’ll save money and get some fresh air and exercise! ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE