Credit Crunch Your Car Costs
The global economic crisis means we all have to tighten our belts. Car owners will be feeling the pinch, especially in the UK where fuel prices have remained high. We have some top tips for vehicle-users to help you cut down your car insurance and running costs.
While Driving
The average car consumes 38% more fuel at 70mph than it does at 50mph, so try and limit your speed on the motorway. With smooth driving you will improve your fuel consumption as acceleration and deceleration is what uses most fuel.
Make your car more aerodynamic - close your windows and sunroof while driving. Leaving your sunroof open can affect your fuel consumption by as much as 4%. And if you have a ski box on the roof of your car, it can affect your fuel consumption by up to 20% at 70mph.
Keep an eye on your air-conditioning as having it on can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Try having your fans on cool instead, opening your window slightly, or use the air-conditioning only in short bursts. However, at speeds of 60mph or more, air-conditioning is more fuel-efficient than opening a window.
While on the road, it pays to shop around for petrol, as prices can vary across the country by up to 25p per litre. Try to avoid filling-up on motorways as service stations tend to have higher fuel prices.
Your Car Weight
On average every 50kg of car weight will increase your fuel consumption by 2%, so try to avoid carrying items in your car that aren’t essential.
Fitting thinner, lighter tyres will improve your petrol consumption too, as thicker, heavier tyres increase rolling resistance. However, using thinner tyres will mean your car will not handle as well, so be sure to get advice from a garage before switching to thinner tyres.
Car maintenance
Reduce the wear caused by friction in the engine by keeping your car topped-up with clean oil. This will help your fuel consumption levels. With a petrol engine aim to change oil every 8000 miles, and with a diesel engine, every 5000 miles.
Keeping your tyres in good order will keep fuel consumption down. Make sure your tyres are inflated correctly by checking the recommended tyre pressure in your car’s manual. Use a service station’s free air pump to adjust your tyre pressure correctly.
Keep Insurance Costs Down
There are several things you can do to keep down the cost of your car insurance premiums. First is to use a reputable firm such as Kwik Fit Insurance to search for low-cost car insurance quotes.
Avoid having modifications made to your vehicle as this can push up the price of premiums.
Lastly, driving safely will help keep premiums down, and having an accident-free record could entitle you to no-claims discounts of up to 70%.