10 tips to cut motoring costs
The oil price is on the up again, meaning bad news for motorists as petrol costs are climbing too.
The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol is now 103.6p according to petrolprices.com but there are ways to offset the recent price increases and lessen the impact on your pocket. Here are our top tips:
Tip one: Compare petrol or diesel prices
The price you pay to fill up your tank varies significantly depending on which petrol station you use. Find the cheapest fuel in your area by entering your postcode at petrolprices.com - it will give you access to the cheapest fuel price within a 10mile radius.
Tip two: Use loyalty cards
Supermarkets can be a smart choice to fill up your car, with many offering rewards points or vouchers for your fuel spend. For example, the Sainsbury's Nectar card offers one point for every litre of fuel bought at both Sainsbury's and BP. With the Tesco Clubcard you get one point for every £1 you spend at one of its forecourts.
Tip three: Drive safely
No-one wants a £60 fine and three penalty points on their licence for exceeding a speed limit, but avoiding penalties isn't the only reason to think about how you drive. Avoiding sudden acceleration and harsh braking will cut your fuel consumption - for example, driving at 70mph uses 25% more fuel than driving at 50mph.
Safer driving will also help keep your insurance premium down as you're less likely to have an accident and make a claim on your policy.
Tip four: Do your research when shopping for car insurance...
Don't renew your car insurance with your existing provider without comparing quotes from other companies first - you'll probably be able to save by switching to a different provider.
Comparing quotes and levels of cover is easy - moneysupermarket.com's comparison tool enables you to compare quotes from 100 providers in a matter of minutes and independent research shows that people cut an average of £157 off their annual premium by doing this.
And don't stop there: You can save more money by paying annually instead of monthly; increasing your voluntary excess; fitting security devices to your car; and more. For more car insurance cost-cutting tips check out our articles 'How young drivers can put brakes on insurance costs' and 'Slash pounds off your car insurance'.
Tip five: And don't forget breakdown cover
Even some of the savviest motorists who shop around for car insurance don't apply the same practise to breakdown cover, wrongly assuming that the AA, Green Flag and the RAC are the only companies to consider. There are in fact, dozens of breakdown companies, many of which may be able to offer more extensive cover at a cheaper price and even with faster average call-out times.
A 27-year-old male driver with a five-year old vehicle driving 10,000 miles a year could get cover from Rescuemycar.com for as little as £30.25 a year which includes features such as a tow to a garage, fix at home, car hire and accommodation. By contrast, the same standard of cover for the same driver with the AA would cost £139.88 a year. For more options check out our breakdown cover tool.
Tip six: Find the cheapest place to park
Parking costs increased by 40% from 2000 to 2007, that's from 86p to £1.21 for two hours' parking, so find the cheapest parking spots in your area. You can compare costs online or even hire someone's personal parking space at yourparkingspace.co.uk.
Tip seven: It's good to share
Using your car less is the most obvious way to make fuel savings but for most of us with daily commutes that simply isn't practical. However, car sharing with a colleague or friend can be a great way to save money.
Alternatively, if you don't need to use a car too often, consider a car hire club which allows you to book a car for as little as 30 minutes up to several days. StreetCar and CityCarClub are among the most popular.
Tip eight: Pump up for savings
Driving with underinflated tyres is not only dangerous it will also reduce your car's fuel economy. Tyres underinflated by 10% will suffer a 2.5% rise in fuel consumption so ideally check your tyres every time you fill up.
Tip nine: Air conditioning can drag you down
Air conditioning systems increase petrol consumption by as much as 10% - but opening a window will increase drag and also eat up more fuel. So how can you get the balance right? As a rule of thumb, opening a window is always preferable unless you are travelling in excess of 60mph when the drag created would be so extensive that turning on an air conditioner is the better choice.
Tip 10: Small changes go a long way
There are many small alterations you can make to the way you drive that can help you make fuel savings. For example, remove roof racks to reduce drag; take any unnecessary items out of your vehicle to reduce weight; drive in the highest possible gear; turn the engine off when in a backlog of traffic; and plan your route ahead of time to find the shortest journeys and to deal with as many errands in one trip as possible.
Disclaimer: Please note that any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing.
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