How to drive fuel efficiently

While there has been some respite with regards to the fuel price recently, it still remains at an all time high. Fortunately there are a number of things you can do to reduce your monthly fuel spend.

Correctly inflate tyres

Correctly inflated tyres can have a big effect on fuel consumption, especially if they are underinflated. It is a good idea to check your tyres as regularly as once a month and ensure that they are inflated to the manufacturers recommended pressure for the load you are carrying.

Plan your travelling

One of the easiest ways to save fuel is to drive less. While this is not always possible, with some planning it should be possible to reduce your monthly mileage. Take the time to do your shopping on a weekly or monthly basis, rather than everyday. If you need to travel a fair distance for a meeting, try group it together with other meetings or visits in the area to avoid doing the trip twice over a short period of time. 

Avoid rush hour as much as possible, travelling during these times means a longer journey in terms of time and this will necessitate the use of more fuel. Planning your day and leaving slightly earlier will result in you being less rushed and driving in a relaxed manner, which is a sure way of saving fuel.

Improve your driving style

The way you drive your vehicle is one of the biggest factors that influences fuel consumption. Avoid speeding up between intersections and try keeping the revs as low as possible. A smooth acceleration technique and maintaining a constant speed on the highway is the most economical way to drive.

Remove unnecessary items

It is a good idea to remove unnecessary items, as any extra weight in your vehicle will increase the fuel consumption. Items like roof racks and bicycle carriers add weight to the vehicle and disrupt its aerodynamic properties, so you will save fuel by removing these when they are not needed.

Maintain your vehicle

Ensuring that your vehicle is correctly maintained is critical in ensuring that it continues to drive as fuel efficiently as possibly. Sticking to the manufacturers guidelines relating to service intervals is as important as fixing any issues that could have an effect on your vehicle’s fuel consumption.

Buy the right vehicle for your needs

While these tactics will go a long way in saving fuel, the easiest way to cut down on your fuel bill is to drive a fuel-efficient vehicle. Many people drive vehicles outside of their intended purpose, such as large cars carrying only one passenger or a 4x4 SUV on the daily commute.

Investing in a vehicle that better is better suited to the majority of your needs could represent massive savings to your fuel bill.

In general smaller cars are lighter on fuel due to the fact that they are fitted with smaller capacity engines. On the other hand, bigger, heavier cars will very often be fitted with larger capacity engines, which will use more fuel. The rise in popularity of hybrid vehicles, which combine electric motors with internal combustion engines, has helped to drastically reduce fuel consumption, even of bigger vehicles.

Honda offers a variety of fuel-efficient vehicles, which cater for a wide variety of intended uses. Models like the entry level Amaze or the compact Ballade and Fit, will all use less than 7.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle. Even the recently launched mid sized Honda Civic uses just 6.2 litres per 100km thanks to a variety of technology that works to both increase performance and reduce fuel consumption.