Finance Roll

A barrel of crude oil now stands at around $71, and many believe that petrol in the UK will hit £1.20 a liter later this year. This being the case, motorists need to be looking for ways they can cut down on costs of petrol and diesel when running their cars. Drive at an appropriate speed and anticipate traffic flow. There is no point in speeding up to a set of red traffic lights, only to have to come to a halt. Better to slow down in plenty of time, and this will reduce petrol consumption. Rather than rushing places, leave in plenty of time if at all possible, and your slower journey should save some fuel.

Modern cars do not require that they be started up and the engine warmed for several minutes prior to a journey. The best way to warm up your vehicle is to drive it. When accelerating do not leave it too late before changing up through the gears. Those extra revs cost money. If you are traveling somewhere you don`t know too well, use your satnav, or good map. Backtracking after losing your way costs petrol, and wasted time. Using air conditioning reduces fuel efficiency, so if you don`t really need it on, then do without. At slow speeds it is better to have a car window open a little to let air in. Talking about aerodynamics, if you aren`t using your roof rack then remove it. Drag means your car uses more energy which equals more fuel.

Keep your car in good condition. Have it regularly serviced. A poorly tuned vehicle uses more petrol. Under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance and use up to 3% more fuel. When buying your petrol look around for which station is the cheapest. Calling in to/from work means not having to go out specially to fill up, and the difference in a tank of petrol can be as much as £6/£7 between the cheapest and dearest petrol stations. And, don`t assume the most expensive premium fuel is best for your car. Normal performance cars do just as well on standard fuels.

Think about whether you really need to use your car for those short journeys. Cold engines use more fuel. You could be fitter by doing more walking, and help save the environment. Share your car if at all possible. Traveling with someone else takes at least one vehicle off the road for the same journey, which has to make sense. And finally, if you live in a town or city you may be able to do without having to own your own car at all. Car clubs are springing up which allows drivers to book a car for the odd journey without having to pay all the extras which you do when you own your own car.