10 tips to cut the cost of fuel

Posted by Noah Bardsley Nov 25, 2011 No Comments »

Steep fuel prices are hitting motorists hard, but the government is coming under increasing pressure to do more to help drivers next year.

More than 110,000 people have signed a petition protesting against a 3p petrol duty increase on January 1, plus a further inflationary 5p rise in August.

January’s rise alone would add £1.50 to the cost of filling up the average tank, driving more cash-strapped motorists off the road altogether.

According to a recent MoneySupermarket poll, a worrying 12.3% of drivers claim they can already no longer afford to use their car.

Nearly half of those questioned agreed that fuel duty should be cut in the autumn Budget statement on the grounds they pay enough tax already, while 26.7% said it should be cut to help put money back into people’s pockets.

Only 3.2% said that fuel duty should be increased. As well as joining the campaign to get fuel duty cut by signing the petition here, there are plenty of other ways you can reduce the amount you spend on filling up your car.

Here are our top tips for cutting costs…

1. Take advantage of supermarket offers

In a bid to woo customers in the run up to Christmas, this week Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are both offering vouchers to shoppers who spend over a certain threshold on groceries.

These vouchers can then be exchanged at the supermarkets’ respective forecourts to secure up to 10p off each litre of fuel. At Sainsbury’s, shoppers need to spend £60 on groceries to receive the 10p per litre discount and the offer runs until this Sunday, 20 November 2011.

However, your fuel voucher will be valid for 14 days from the point of collection, which means the last date shoppers can benefit is 4 December.

Morrisons customers will receive 6p off each litre of petrol for every £40 spent on groceries, under its Fuel Britannia campaign. The offer also lasts until this Sunday (20 November) – though you will have only a week until 27 November to redeem the voucher at any Morrisons’ petrol station.

2. Search for the cheapest forecourt

Always shop around to find the best deals on fuel. You can do this by typing your postcode into PetrolPrices.com which will then show you the cheapest forecourt in your area.

According to the site, on 13 November, prices throughout the UK of unleaded petrol ranged from £127.9 to £145.9 a litre – a difference which could save even infrequent drivers a fortune. But for obvious reasons, don’t drive too far to get the cheapest forecourt.

3. Avoid paying by credit card if you can’t clear the balance

A survey published this week from credit reference agency Equifax, revealed that more than two-thirds of motorists use credit cards to pay for their petrol, while nearly a third are paying off less than 25% of their balance at the end of each month.

“It’s not surprising that motorists opt to use their credit card when filling up, as not many people carry around £50 in cash,” says spokesperson, Neil Munroe.

”But doing this and then making only the minimum each month – or even anything less than the total balance – means motorists will end up forking out a lot more than the increased price of fuel per litre.”

4. Make use of credit cards that offer rewards

While accumulating the cost of fuel on an interest-bearing credit card will outstrip even the government’s relentless hikes in Duty, there are cards that allow you to actually profit from your forecourt spend.

Santander’s recently-launched 123 credit card for example, pays 3% cashback on every petrol bill up to a cap of £9 a month. Combined with the 1% cashback on all supermarket spending and 2% cashback on department store spending, the average cashback Santander estimates a card-holder can pocket at the end of the year is £176. However, the card does come with a £24 annual fee.

5. Don’t drive erratically

When making short journeys be sure to avoid sharp acceleration or braking and keep gear changes as smooth as possible. For longer distances, make use of your car’s ‘cruise control’ facility if it has one, as this will help to set and maintain a fuel-efficient speed.

6. Keep tyres inflated

Pumping up your tyres to the pressure stated in your manual will also result in using less petrol. And when it’s time to replace your tyres you could also consider low-rolling resistance ‘eco’ alternatives, which help reduce friction and fuel consumption over time.

7. Slow down

Driving at 70mph on the motorway can result in savings of up to 10% on fuel when compared to driving at 80mph.

And, of course, you’ll also avoid a potential fine for breaking the legal speed limit, not to mention the points on your licence that will crank up the cost of your car insurance premiums.

8. Take off/out any unnecessary weight

The more your car weighs, the more fuel it consumes. Removing your roof rack and any unwanted items from the boot and inside of the car can save up to an estimated 15% in fuel.

9. Don’t leave the engine running

If you are likely to be at a standstill for more than three minutes, switch off the engine to prevent wasting petrol.

10. Know where you are going

Obvious as it may sound, knowing where you are going before you head off could save an untold amount of fuel that would otherwise be spent in getting lost. Study a decent roadmap or make sure your sat-nav is safely up and running before you pull away.

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