Despite rising fuel prices there are some smart ways of saving money these holidays by being aware of the aspects that increase consumption. Petroleum company, BP, has compiled some simple tips for drivers.
Despite rising fuel prices there are some smart ways of saving money these holidays by being aware of the aspects that increase consumption. Petroleum company, BP, has compiled some simple tips for drivers.
Chris Lockett, BP’s Fuels Technology manager, says there is no need to buy expensive add-on equipment to reduce fuel consumption. “The surest way to save on fuel is to simply change the way you drive”, he says.
Lockett offers the following suggestions:
1. Correct tyre pressure. Under-inflated tyres are not only dangerous, but they also increase the rolling resistance between the vehicle’s tyres and the road. To overcome the extra drag, the engine will have to work harder and therefore consume more fuel.
2. Maintain your vehicle. A badly maintained vehicle is unlikely to perform as it is designed to. Problems such as partially blocked filters, poor oil performance and emissions control systems mean that the vehicle is performing under its capacity, which can lead to increased fuel consumption and higher emissions.
3. Removing roof box rails. Any external fixings such as roof boxes, their rails, and bike racks should be removed when not in use. They change the air flow over the vehicle and increase its aerodynamic draft.
This means a greater force is needed to drive the vehicle through the air, requiring extra power from your engine, in turn increasing fuel consumption and emissions.
4. Use of high quality fuels. Using high quality fuels will allow the vehicle to run more efficiently, enabling improved combustion quality, thus reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions. Independent tests show that the fuel economy benefit of BP Ultimate Unleaded can be up to 25km more per tank and up to 36km extra when using BP Ultimate Diesel, compared to ordinary fuels.
5. Reducing the use of air-conditioning. The air-conditioning unit contains a compressor pump driven by your engine. When air conditioning is used the compressor uses power from the engine, increasing the work it has to do. This requires more fuel and produces increased emissions.
6. Removing unnecessary weight. Carrying unnecessary weight in the boot or cabin of the vehicle will make the engine work harder when accelerating – this affects stop/start driving in particular. Simply removing this load will reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.
7. Reducing stop/start driving. The engine has to work hard when accelerating and every time the brakes are used this energy is lost as heat. By observing and predicting road and traffic conditions, the effects of stop/start driving can be reduced. Simply lifting off the accelerator earlier and gently slowing down will improve fuel economy.
8. Excess idling. Unnecessary idling will consume fuel and produce emissions even while stationary. During periods of several minutes or more, where it is safe to do so, switching off your engine will stop fuel consumption and emissions completely.
9. Hard acceleration. Accelerating hard and using high engine speeds will make the engine consume more fuel. This is because, under high loads and speeds, the engine is not operating very efficiently. Accelerating more steadily to the desired speed will reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Using the engine in its most efficient range can reduce consumption and emissions:
– For petrol, changing gear at 2500rpm is recommended
– For diesel, changing gear at 2000rpm is recommended.
10. Avoid short journeys. On short journeys when an engine is cold it uses more fuel because some of the energy in the fuel is used to heat the engine. The catalytic converter in the exhaust, which reduces harmful emissions, is also less efficient when cold. Cold start journeys, therefore, lead to high emissions and high fuel consumption for several minutes after start up.
