Despite rising fuel prices there are some smart ways of saving money these holidays by being aware of the aspects that increase consumption. Here are some tips from BP!
Chris Lockett, BP’s fuels technology manager says, “The surest way to save on fuel is simply to change the way you drive.”
• Underinflated tyres are not only dangerous, but also increase the rolling resistance between the tyres and the road. To overcome the extra drag, the engine will have to work harder and consume more fuel.
• A badly maintained vehicle is unlikely to perform as it is designed to. Partially blocked filters, poor oil performance and emissions control systems underperforming, will prevent your engine from functioning as well as the manufacturer intended it to, which can result in increased fuel consumption and higher emissions.
• Any external fittings such as roof boxes, their rails and bike racks should be removed when not in use. They change the air flow over the vehicle and increase its aerodynamic draft. This means a greater force is needed to drive the vehicle, requiring extra power from your engine, in turn increasing fuel consumption and emissions.
• Using high-quality fuels, such as BP Ultimate, will allow the vehicle to run more efficiently, enabling improved combustion quality, thus reducing fuel consumption and lowering emissions. Independent tests show that the fuel economy benefit of BP Ultimate Unleaded can be up to 25km more per tank and up to 36km extra when using BP Ultimate Diesel.
• The air conditioning unit contains a compressor pump driven by your engine. When air conditioning is used the compressor uses power from the engine, increasing the work it has to do. This requires more fuel and produces increased emissions.
• Carrying unnecessary weight in the boot or cabin of the vehicle will make the engine work harder when accelerating – this particularly affects stop/start driving. Simply removing this load will reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.
• Reducing stop/start driving. The engine has to work hard when accelerating and every time the brakes are used this energy is lost as heat. By observing and predicting road and traffic conditions ahead, the effects of stop/start driving can be reduced. By simply lifting off the accelerator earlier and gently slowing down will improve fuel economy.
• Unnecessary idling will consume fuel and produce emissions even whilst stationary. During periods of several minutes or more, where it is safe to do so, switch off your engine.
• Accelerating hard and using high engine speeds will make the engine consume more fuel. This is because, under high loads and speeds, the engine is not operating efficiently. Accelerating more steadily to the desired speed will reduce fuel consumption and emissions. For petrol, changing gear at 2500r/min is recommended – for diesel, changing gear at 2000r/min is recommended.
• On short journeys when an engine is cold it uses more fuel because some of the energy in the fuel is used to heat the engine. The catalytic converter in the exhaust, which reduces harmful emissions, is also less efficient when cold. Cold start journeys, therefore, lead to high emissions and high fuel consumption for several minutes after start up.
• Opening windows and sunroofs will also increase air drag over the car. The higher the speed, the greater the effect this will have.
• When ascending a steep gradient, do not labour the engine at low engine speeds. It is better to use a lower gear and keep the engine speed higher.
