Money Guide

Top ten money saving motoring tips

By Becca Talbot becca.talbot@consumerchoices.co.uk

With the credit crunch in full swing, people are cutting back on everything, from expensive luxuries to food and holidays to transport.

In fact, our survey shows more than 50% of our users have had to tighten their purse strings over the last 12 months.

The rising cost of running a car has had a dramatic impact on all drivers, causing traffic on Britain’s major roads to drop for the first time since congestion was measured, a report has revealed.

So, how can you cut the cost of driving, and pocket the change? Here is our hassle-free top ten motoring money saving tips, to help you effortlessly save cash on all things car.

• 1) The price of petrol
• 2) Less speed, more haste
• 3) Apply some pressure
• 4) Compare quotes
• 5) Forward planning
• 6) Join the club
• 7) Cooling off
• 8) Quality seconds
• 9) Is the tank half full, or half empty?
• 10) Love your car

1) The price of petrol

It may seem that high petrol prices are unavoidable at the minute, but here at CreditChoices.co.uk we have found a way to save the pennies while filling your tank. You can find the cheapest petrol stations by using sites such as petrolprices.com or findcheappetrol.com, which use postcode searches to find the cheapest petrol stations near you.

The savings you can make using these sites are endless, and with prices fluctuating like they are at the moment, it is a good idea to sign up to the websites news alerts and weekly email service, which is completely free. You could save as much as 10p a litre on unleaded petrol, and 15p a litre on diesel.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests saving money whilst you shop. Supermarket promotions are an easy way to save money on your petrol. Stores, such as Sainsbury’s and Asda will sometimes offer a voucher to redeem against the price of petrol, depending on how much you spend in store.

Also, aim to buy your petrol when the temperature is cooler, such as in the early morning before work. Petrol becomes denser in cooler temperatures, and as petrol pumps only measure the volume - and not the density, you’ll get overall more for your money by purchasing petrol when it is cool outside rather than in the heat of the day.

2) Less speed, more haste

It has long been believed, and reinforced by claims from manufacturers, that 55mph is the most efficient speed for petrol usage. However, the clever people at What Car? magazine decided to put this theory to the test, with expert Peter de Nayer on the case. The results of their findings show that the slower you’re going in top gear, the more miles per gallon you can achieve.

Apparently it’s all down to wind resistance - the greater the wind drag, the more work your engine will have to do, so racing along at 100mph rather than 50mph will make your engine use roughly five times more fuel. You’ll cover twice the distance in the same time, of course, but it still works out to more than double the amount of fuel for every mile travelled.

You’ll be surprised how much you could save by knocking just a few mph off your speed and changing up gears earlier. Autotrader suggests using the left lane on motorways whenever possible – doing 56mph uses 25% less fuel than 70mph.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests not driving around at 10mph in sixth gear however. It won’t do your car any good, and other drivers may not be as tolerant, or money saving conscious. You could probably walk quicker too!

3) Apply some pressure

Religiously check your car’s tyre pressure each week (invest in a good-quality dial-type gauge, so you can check pressures yourself – avoid pencil-style gauges as these are proven to be unreliable). Tyres that are under-inflated will reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 3% for every 0.1 bar that the tyre is under-inflated. It’s all very scientific, and Michelin can explain it better than I ever could, but basically it’s all about rolling resistance: The lower the pressure, the higher the resistance. Increased rolling resistance means increased fuel consumption.

The amount you save all really lies on the type of tyres you have and the car you drive (and of course, the way you drive it), but according to Autotrader, under inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by 5%. So checking the pressure of your tyres regularly could save you a small fortune over a year. And, if you want to cut your fuel bill by a further 2-3%, the next time you are in the market for tyres, consider radial tyres.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests referring to your car’s handbook to check what the correct tyre pressure should be, then popping down to your nearest petrol station to top them up if their a little deflated. Also, remember pressure normally has to be increased for heavier loads, so if you’re travelling to the airport with five suitcases in your boot, it is advisable to pump up your tyres just a little

4) Compare quotes

It goes with out saying really, but always ensure you compare car insurance quotes before renewing your policy. Many drivers will just renew their insurance, without considering their options, which can be a costly mistake. Our tips on cheaper motor insurance will tell you everything you need to know to help you lower your premium.

It is really important to insure your car to the correct value, not just for your peace of mind, but because over-insuring costs you more money. Check your car’s retail value (using websites like Glass’s) when comparing insurance quotes, so you can give companies an exact value for your car - insurance companies may over estimate the value, as a bigger premium means more money for them.

It’s tricky to estimate savings, but use our comparison service to see how much you could save by switching insurers - users have been known to save up to £100 through switching.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests shopping around for a better policy a few weeks before yours is due for renewal – you may find a better quote from elsewhere, then find that your current insurance provider will offer you a better deal to keep you as a customer.

5) Forward planning

Planning unfamiliar journeys in advance is a sure-fire way of lowering your chances of getting lost, and therefore reducing your fuel consumption. How many times have you said you’re going to take a short cut, but then ended up taking an hour longer to get to your destination?

If you’re going on a long journey, plan ahead to steer clear of known congestion trouble spots and places where road works are taking place, and listen to local radio traffic reports for the latest road conditions. Planning your journey before you set off can save you a considerable amount in fuel costs, and time on the road.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests using the AA’s Route Planner to map your journey before you leave the house. You can plan a route from one destination to another and print off the directions, and the AA will calculate mileage, time and fuel consumption for you.

Alternatively, invest some money in a Sat Nav. Log on to the TomTom website, where they have a large range of satellite navigation systems to choose from, or pop into your local Halfords and by and get one fitted a member of the Halfords team.

6) Join the club

Can’t live without a car, but can’t really afford to run one? Well this money saving tip is for you. The recent soar in fuel prices has seen the number of people signing up to pay-as-you-go car clubs double since the start of the year.

Car clubs, such as Street Car, Whizz Go and City Car Club offer drivers a low-cost, problem-free alternative to driving their own vehicle.

Operating in most major UK towns and cities, car club drivers are charged an annual membership fee of about £50, and then pay by the hour to hire cars. After collecting a car from a designated pick-up point, club members and are given smartcards that are held against a reader to operate the locking mechanism and ignition. Clubs also issue fuel cards for buying petrol. Any top-ups are added to members’ accounts and a bill is issued monthly for excess mileage and fuel. Once a driver has used the vehicle for the allotted time, they simply return it to a designated site.

On top of the annual signing up fee, hourly rates are around £5, but this includes comprehensive insurance and petrol. Free mileage is usually limited to 30 miles a day, after which it is chargeable. Whizz Go, for example charges 21p a mile over a 30-mile daily limit. Cars can also be hired for days or even weeks at a time, in which case the hourly rate drops.

So, if you’re doing a weekly shop (which takes say 2 hours) in Tesco 10 miles away, over the period of a year, it’ll cost you about £570. This is a huge saving when you compare it to the cost of having a car, paying for road tax, an MOT, insurance and petrol. But savings all depend on how often you use your car, what car you have and the cost of your insurance.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests registering with a car club and doing away with your petrol guzzling old banger. Members in London have the added bonus of car club vehicles being exempt from the capital’s congestion charge.

7) Cooling off

Turning off your air conditioning is a simple yet effective energy efficient solution to help you cut back on your fuel costs. Air-con uses an incredible amount of fuel when driving at a slower speed, so using the windows and sunroof to cool you down will save you money on your car’s fuel consumption.

However, driving with your windows and sunroof open while going fast down the motorway can reduce fuel efficiency by 10%, as an open window increases drag and burns more fuel. So, save the air-con for the motorway driving, and wind down your windows when you’re driving around town.

Turning off your air-conditioning could save you at least £2 per week on fuel, according to Autotrader. That’s over a £100 in a year. Think of what you could do with all that spare cash!

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests changing your habits to save you money. Turn off the air-con and wind down those windows for some fresh, cool air. However, we advise you run your air-con at least once a week throughout the year, for maintenance purposes.

8) Quality seconds

Thousands of potential new car buyers have been gearing up for their big purchase on 1 September as the ‘58’ registration plate launches. But with brand new vehicles losing up to 20% of their value the minute they’re driven off the forecourt, there is another option to getting more money out of your motor.

For those of you not worried about prestige or image, there is always the option of buying a second hand car. CreditChoices.co.uk user, John Davies from Pembrokeshire, has had his 1991 MG Maestro for 3 years:

“It’s comfortable, a good load carrier, and I find the performance more than adequate for today’s traffic. Actually, it can be a complete hoot to drive! It cost me the princely sum of £265, and has cost a bit over twice that in repairs and upgrades over the last few years. I can buy an awful lot of petrol with the difference between that and the cost of a new car. Spares are available either via an owners club or eBay, it is a simple enough vehicle for me to do a lot of the servicing myself, and any small garage is able to do anything I can’t or don’t want to.”

Not only do second hand cars depreciate a lot less than new cars, they can be a lot more efficient to run. Used Car Expert have some useful information on fuel efficiency and used cars.

Buying a used car can have potential pitfalls - but it doesn’t need to be a painful experience. Follow Autotrader’s simple guide for expert information and useful tips.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests checking the MOT history of a used car online, to make sure you’re not getting a bad deal. A car history check is the smartest investment you’ll make when buying a car, and could end up saving you hundreds of pounds in the long-term.

9) Is the tank half full, or half empty?

Because fuel is heavy, every time you fill your tank you’ll be adding weight to your car. A heavy car will burn more fuel, making it less economical, and therefore costing you more to run. The less fuel your car has in it, the more efficiently it’ll drive. So, filling up slightly more often and putting slightly less in will make the car run more efficiently.

You should aim to fill up at least fifty miles before your tank runs dry. That way there’ll be no panic about running out of petrol, and you’ll have enough time to get to a cheaper petrol station. If you leave it until the tank is virtually empty you’ll end up filling up at the next garage you see, which could well be one of the most expensive in the area. When you’re filling up, aim for your tank being between half and three quarters full.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests avoiding letting your car run on empty as this could result in an unnecessary car breakdown. And listen out for the nozzle clicking off, with the meter continuing to charge you money. This should only be a few pennies, but if it happens, let go of the nozzle and start it up again. Also, don’t fill up on a Friday - Petrol stations put their prices up on a Friday because that’s the day that most people tend to fill up. Planning ahead will save you even more money.

10) Love your car

Looking after your car really will save you money. When it comes to maintenance and repairs on your vehicle, it makes sense to visit a main dealer when you are still within the warranty period, as repairs and servicing will be free. If your warranty has run out, or you have a second hand car though, it is worth getting quotes from a couple of garages before you get any work done. Bear in mind labour rates per hour will be much higher at a dealer than a family-owned garage, and main dealers are also more likely to fit manufacturer’s own original parts, which are generally more expensive.

Finding a good, competent, honest, local garage can be a one of the biggest money saving moves you can make. When you’ve found one, treasure them for all they’re worth, treat them politely, flatter them, and pay them on time. Also, make it clear from the onset that you know your way around your vehicle and you know exactly what you want done. This will ensure you won’t be ripped off taken for a ride when it comes to billing.

It’s a good idea to learn to do as much of the maintenance to your vehicle as you can, as garages typically charge £30 an hour or more, and even then they don’t always get it right. Take up an evening class or do a course in car maintenance and save yourself loads in garage invoices. Even if you don’t put anything from the course into practice, having the knowledge will help you loads - you’ll be a lot better off saying to a mechanic “I think the front offside lower ball-joint needs replacing, could you have a look?” rather than “My car’s making a funny noise.” You don’t actually have to do your own maintenance and get muck under your fingernails, of course, but you will talk the talk well enough not to be bamboozled by the professionals into paying over the odds.

ConsumerChoices.co.uk suggests making sure you change the oil regularly, as a dirty engine can lower fuel economy. Remember to get your car professionally inspected before its warranty expires, to highlight any faults, and get them repaired for free. And have your car serviced annually, because dirty oil, clogged sparkplugs and faulty thermostats can result in increased fuel consumption.

The results of a recent opinion poll revealed an overwhelming 87% of people in the UK think measures to force car manufacturers to make smarter cars that use 25% less fuel should be introduced urgently, showing just how frustrated people are with the rising cost of fuel.

But cutting your fuel bills needn’t be frustrating. If you’re willing to make a little bit of an effort and change your driving habits, you could save hundreds. Following ConsumerChoices.co.uk’s advice could cut your fuel costs by as much as half. If it takes £80 to fill up your tank for example, you could save around half of this per week, depending on how much you use your car. With these money saving tips, you’ll be king of the road, and still have money in your pocket.

Bookmark with:

What's this?

Comments