Saving money on your petrol bill

Efficiency:

• Drive carefully & smoothly. Sudden braking & accelerating increase fuel consumption.
• Drive slower. This greatly reduces fuel consumption.
• Service your car regularly. An out of tune car can use more petrol than necessary.
• Avoid using the air conditioner unless absolutely necessary.
• Remove roof racks when not in use as they increase drag, which increases fuel consumption.
• Don’t carry unnecessary weight in your car. If there is something in the car you don’t need, remove it.  
• Drive the smallest car you can.
• If you are driving a manual car, choose the correct gear.
• Keep your tyres inflated to the manufacturer’s recommendations.  Under-inflated tyres reduce fuel economy.

Petrol savings:

• Shop around for the cheapest petrol. Check out Fuelwatch or Motormouth for the cheapest price in your area.
• Avoid filling up when your tank is close to empty, this forces you to shop at the closest petrol & not the cheapest.
• Fill up on Tuesdays if you live in Sydney as this is the cheapest day for petrol.
• Avoid filling up on Fridays as this is the most expensive day for petrol.
• Save your supermarket receipts & take advantage of their petrol promotions. This can save you several cents a litre.

Miscellaneous tips:

• Get rid of the second car if at all possible. Not only will you save by not requiring petrol but you will also save on insurance, registration & repairs costs. Ask yourself if you really need that second car? Can you use public transport, car pooling, walk or ride a bike instead?
• Walk or ride your bike instead of drive wherever possible.
• If you must use your car for small trips, try to combine several into one.
• Work from home, even if it is only 1 day a week.
• Car pool. Not only will it save on petrol costs but is also better for the environment.
• Where possible, shop online & have your goods delivered to your door.