At a time when every penny counts, a few changes to your driving and vehicle habits could potentially save you hundreds of pounds a year. Last week we looked at some money saving driving tips, such as using energy efficient tyres and shopping around for fuel. This week we bring you five more top tips to save you money on the road.
Car share
It may be obvious, but if you are driving somewhere with space in your car, then you are wasting money. If you have a regular route to school, work or even to the shops, see if anyone wants to lift share. If you find you are usually the driver, it is not unreasonable to ask for a (modest) contribution to your fuel. On the other hand, if you have a fairly well thought-out rota, you could all take your turn driving and each make savings on fuel.
Shop around on insurance
Car insurance is a necessary evil and although you can make it cheaper by choosing third party insurance or having a big excess, these may be false economies in the longer term. When your insurance expires, rather than passively accepting the auto renewal terms, make sure you shop around. Companies are always looking for new business and if you can find a better deal, your current provider might just match it.
Ditch the drag
Roof bars, roof boxes, full boots and unnecessary extra cargo will all impact your mpg. It may “only” be a few miles per gallon, but that will add up in the long term. Get rid of any excess weight until you need it to make your vehicle light and sleek and to save money.
Try hypermiling
Hypermiling is one of those things that appears to be pretty boring but once you get used to it, it can become addictive! By limiting acceleration on your vehicle so that you don’t need to brake as much, and taking advantage of downhill stretches, you can see your mpg rise pretty quickly, especially on longer journeys. If you have an in-car computer, set it to average mpg and watch the miles edge up as the fuel bill goes down!
Take an advanced test
It is very easy to fall into bad habits which can not only impact our fuel economy, but make our driving less safe, too. An advanced test will help you to get back into prime smooth driving habits, which will result in lower fuel consumption and could even see your insurance premium drop. For advanced driving options, speak to your local driving instructor.
Paying to stay on the road can be challenging and it can be tempting to skip the odd service, or ignore the strange knocking sound. The truth is, it is likely to cost you a lot more if you ignore the problem! If you do notice anything, pop into your local garage for advice; they are unlikely to do anything without checking with you first, and it might not be as bad as you think.
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