Does is feel like you’re forever topping up your fuel tank? Have you become accidental best buds with the petrol station cashier? With the cost of fuel at an all-time high across New Zealand, we asked ourselves the question… Is it possible to make our fuel go further?
We’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Read on for our top tips to combat the impact of rising petrol prices.
In an attempt to frequent the petrol station less:
1. Ditch the baggage.
This tip came up time and time again on our research mission. The heavier your car, the more fuel consumption required to get you from A to B. If it doesn’t need to be in your car, take it out. Whilst we draw the line at removing unnecessary seats, if you’ve started using your boot as a storage unit, it’s perhaps time to find a new home for the items slowing you down and costing you more at the pump.
2. Speaking of pumps, how inflated are your tyres?
Even a slight deflation will cause resistance on the roads, slowing you down, and eating up more fuel. Make sure you regularly top up the air your tyres. Use the change in seasons as a reminder as your tyres will respond to the different weather temperatures.
3. Does your car take petrol rather than diesel?
Would you consider switching your fuel to 95 or 98 octane over 91? Whilst the upfront cost at the pump will undoubtedly be higher, research states that the higher percentage of octane helps to improve overall performance of the car, including fuel efficiency. We’re going to give this one a go and monitor the cost difference.
4. Turn off your air con.
Before you @ us, yes, we are very aware that we are suggesting this tactic in the middle of a New Zealand summer… but hear us out. Running the air con puts additional strain on your engine, requiring necessitating more fuel consumption. We’ll leave this one for you to decide; get a little sweaty but save some cash but get a bit sweaty. Or, allow the chill to cost you a bit more.
5. Watch your speed.
The quicker you are travelling correlates to how quickly your tank will consume fuel. Heavy acceleration puts additional pressure on your engine, drinking more of that fuel we are trying to save. Keep gear transitions as smooth as possible and give yourself time to slow down and speed up gently at intersections and traffic lights. Your wallet/purse will thank you for it.
6. Become friendly with your cruise control.
Using cruise control allows for those smooth transitions we’ve just been talking about and saves accidental heavy feet on the accelerator which cost you more in the long run.
According to the AA, driving efficiently and having a maintained car can improve your fuel efficiency by 10-20%. Additionally, poor driving can increase fuel consumption by almost 20%. Knowledge is power—and fuel savings! We’d love to know how these tips impact your wallet. Put them into practice and keep us posted here.
P.S have you considered an electric car? We can help with that: https://blueskyfinance.co.nz/car-loans