How I Learnt to Save 50% on My Monthly Fuel Bill {and You Can Too!}

In times of economic uncertainty, there are essentially two great ways to save money. You can either earn much more each year to beat the rising living costs or learn to spend more effectively. I like the latter to make everyday living easier and affordable.

One of the ways I learnt to spend more effectively and in the process spend much less was by cutting my monthly fuel bill by half.

No, I didn’t start walking instead of driving. Though that isn’t a bad idea! Neither did I drive a great deal less.

All I did was learn some great driving habits and some smart spending habits to achieve this.

Learning #1: Find a Fuel Station that Gives You More Miles

I realised more by accident than anything else that the quality/purity of fuel at each fuel station is not the same. At least in India, fuel adulteration is still rampant.

Even in big cities there are fuel stations which may either give you bad quality fuel or not give you the exact quantity as shown in the fuel meter.

After trying out several fuel stations over a period of time I realized that there was one that consistently gave me 25% more mileage whenever I refuelled.

I’ve now made it a point to get my car refuelled there unless I am out of town or need fuel in an emergency and don’t have enough time to go there.

Learning #2: Boost Mileage with the Right Tyre Pressure

Do not drive with under or over inflated tyres. All car manufacturers recommend an optimum tyre pressure for your car keeping in mind the kind of tyre, car and load.

The effects of not maintaining correct air pressure are poor petrol mileage, loss of tyre life, bad handling, perhaps even loss of control of the vehicle.

Perhaps because our tyres do SO much without seeming to need any attention, we tend to overlook this important task. But tyres do lose pressure, slowly but surely, every day.

Maintaining the recommended tyre pressure will also help with better braking of the car and increase the tyre tread life from 10% to as much as 50% depending on the road conditions.

I’ve seen a 5-10% increase in my car’s mileage by maintaining the recommended tyre pressure.

The recommended interval to check tyre pressure is about once in 10-15 days or you can do it every time you refuel.

Learning #3: Drive Smart to Save Big

Aggressive driving – speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes fuel and can lower your fuel mileage by 15-25%.While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed, fuel consumption usually increases rapidly at speeds above 55-60 mph.

Drive in the overdrive gear as often as possible without hitting the speed limits; in the overdrive mode your car’s engine speed or what you normally see on your RPM gauge goes down. This saves fuel and reduces engine wear.

Learn to drive in a smooth and a consistent manner which would not only cut your fuel costs but also keep you safe on the road.

How do YOU save money on fuel? Tell us in the comments!

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee