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Fuel efficiency tips amid rising costs
With the increased cost of fuel in today’s uncertain climate, improving fuel efficiency can have many financial and environmental benefits – both on a business and personal level.
Fuel can be one of the largest and most difficult expenses to predict and control. Therefore, it’s important to conserve fuel, maximise efficiency and reduce vehicle emissions by implementing fuel-efficient policies, technology and maintenance strategies.
Whether you have a fleet of vehicles, a single business van or a family car, here are some top tips to help control costs and be fuel efficient:
- Think about driving patterns —Certain driving behaviours, such as speeding, can affect fuel consumption. In fact, fuel consumption increases 14.9% between 60mph and 75mph, according to data from the Department for Transport.
- Cut engine idling—Idling can burn unnecessary fuel – and it can be illegal in certain circumstances. For example, the Highway Code states that drivers must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle unnecessarily while it’s stationary on a public road. To reduce fuel and oil waste, consider:
- Switching off the engine while waiting or making deliveries/collecting supplies.
- Switching off the engine while stuck in traffic (many modern vehicles have this function built in).
- Avoid idling to warm up the engine.
- Improve route efficiency—Think about the jobs you’re carrying out each day or household tasks that need completing. Can you make a more efficient route to reduce mileage and fuel costs? Why not plot your day’s travel using a sat nav or app and see whether switching the order of jobs/locations could you reduce your travel time and distance.
- Remove unnecessary weight from vehicles—Every extra 50kg of weight in a vehicle can increase fuel consumption by 1%-2%, according to car servicing and repair company KwikFit. This can quickly add up to thousands of litres of fuel if you have several vehicles or simply if you always travel with tools/equipment you might not need that day.
- Schedule maintenance—Preventive and regular maintenance/services can reduce fuel costs, extend the lifespan of vehicles and increase safety.
- Check the tyre pressure—Tyres should be inflated close to recommended pressure levels; underinflated tyres can significantly lower a vehicle’s average miles per gallon. Driving with tyres inflated to the right pressure not only improves the cost per mile but also helps the vehicle respond properly in unsafe situations.
These simple suggestions can help your business and personal vehicle journeys become more fuel-efficient and as a result, control some of the costs involved with driving.
To find out more about vehicle insurance and risk management, talk to our friendly team.
Give us a call: 0330 9000 701 or send us an email: info@napitinsurance.co.uk
