A cost-of-moving crisis is spanking motorists’ hip pockets across the country as fuel prices hit record highs, with more pain at the pump forecast amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Bowsers are acting like the evil Nintendo character, with the price of unleaded jumping 17¢ in just a few days, while the national diesel price hit $2.84, up 24¢.
But NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury says a few simple changes could offer fuel savings of up to 30 per cent.
If your car can take E10 fuel, use it. E10 is a cleaner-burning, cheaper, petrol blend containing 90 per cent unleaded fuel and 10 per cent renewable ethanol.
“For years, there has been a smear campaign in this country run against it,” Khoury says
“It is a myth that most Australian cars can’t take E10. And if your car can take E10, you should absolutely use it for two reasons. One, it is cheaper, and two, the 10 per cent ethanol that’s added to every litre is domestically produced.”
Use the air-conditioner (and windows) properly. If your car has windows that work, use them when you’re driving around the city or suburbs and enjoy the breeze as dogs do. But if you’re on a highway, put them up and the air-conditioning on because closed windows reduce the drag on the car and therefore its fuel consumption.
Be a hypermiler. By pumping up your tyres to the correct PSI and coasting you can reduce drag and save money. Tyre pressure should be set to the manufacturer’s recommendation. If your tyres don’t have enough air in them, they’ll drag and slow you down.
Drive gently. Especially when moving off from traffic lights. “Don’t be a leadfoot,” Khoury says.
Ditch all the junk in the trunk. The more weight you’ve got in the vehicle, the more fuel your vehicle will consume. And remove the roof racks to improve aerodynamics. Research shows this can save up to 15 per cent of a vehicle’s petrol consumption, and using cruise control on highways could save another 5 per cent.
“Don’t carry excess weight in the boot. Make sure the boot is empty,” Khoury says.
Plan and choose your trips wisely. Plan trips to find the quickest routes. Can the kids ride a bus or an e-bike instead of being driven to school? Can you work from home?
Travel in style. If you can afford to go out at night for entertainment, use public transport, ride a skateboard, rollerblade, unicycle or walk to the party. It’s more likely you’ll have a fun story to tell about your journey than if you arrive in a steel can with wheels.
Use all the discount cheat codes, such as Fuel Check, service station apps and shopping receipt discounts.
Don’t waste time warming up. Modern engines don’t need to idle for more than 30 seconds before you drive – just wait enough time for the oil to circulate.
The “half-tank” myth. Keeping the tank half-empty does make the car lighter and more efficient, but that difference is negligible compared to the wasted fuel driving to the petrol station twice as often.
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