Save money - save fuel driving this Summer

Whilst many will have noticed the roads are quieter with the start of the school summer holidays, all that's really happened is many families will be making longer journeys to holiday destinations or for day's out with the kids.

With these extra, longer journeys in mind, it's essential motorists do everything to reduce their fuel consumption and reduce costs, not to mention their emissions.

Here's a few motoring tips you can use all year round:

Reduce the weight - remove any unnecessary weight from your car. More weight equals more fuel.

Queues - If you're stuck in a queue, switch off your engine. Even idling uses fuel.

Drive Thru's - Take a proper break and park up and eat in the restaurant. Especially if there's a queue for the drive-thru or you may feel the need to leave the engine running for heat or cooling.

Cruisin' - Cruise control helps you maintain an even speed. If your car's got it - try using it.

Steady driving - Maintaining a steady speed and allowing plenty of time for braking could reduce your consumption by a much as 33%. Most cars start 'burning fuel once you drive over 65mph so resist the temptation to 'bomb along' at 70+mph, once you hit the duel carriageways or motorways.

Everything but the kitchen sink - Think carefully before using a roof-rack, top box or even trailer to take those holiday 'essentials' in. A roof-rack can reduce fuel economy by 5%.

Maintenance - It should be a weekly routine anyway, but especially before a long journey, check your tyre pressures (don't forget the extra load setting if your full + luggage), oil an coolant levels. Correct tyre pressures mean you'll use less fuel and be safe.

Cool it - Air-con on a car is a godsend, especially if you're stuck in slow moving traffic but remember, it can affect your mpg by around 5 miles per gallon. Add that up over a week (or a long journey) and the savings are obvious. Tilt opening a sunroof will let hot air escape a car interior - especially if used with a window open a small amount.

Finally - don't forget Dogs die when left in cars during hot weather. Even leaving a small window open may not be enough.

And my top tip - if you're driving anything more than your regular commute, packing a few drink cartons and some snacks could come in very handy if you suddenly find yourself stuck in a traffic jam.

photo credit: gustavo jeronimo

Save fuel - drive more carefully as MP's lobbied over fuel duty increase staging

forecourt prices January 2010

With the cost of petrol hovering around the £1.30 a litre mark (and there are 4.54 litres to a UK gallon), British motorists aren't getting a lot for their money and there's talk of a planned 'staged' increase in fuel duty soon - something the UK motor industry is calling on the Government to scrap amidst a torrid time for beleaguered garage forecourts.

And as it's unlikely that fuel costs will drop, it's up to us motorists to squeeze as much mileage out of those precious drops of petrol as possible.

There are a number of things you can do to improve your economy:

Avoid harsh breaking and harsh acceleration. Look ahead, read the road. Why zoom up to traffic lights you know you'll have to stop at or junctions where you'll have to give way?

Tempting as it may be to warm up your engine and car before starting a journey, remember even though you're not covering any miles, you're still using fuel. This where stop/start technology in modern cars really pays for itself, especially if you do a lot of town commuting.

Lighten the load. Don't carry weight around with you that you don't need. I'm not suggesting you ditch the spare wheel but any weight you don't have to carry all adds to your fuel consumption.

Maintenance and care. A few simple checks is all it takes. Check your tyre pressures are correct, wheels aligned and fluid levels topped up. Change engine oil according to scheduled intervals and check air filters etc. Worn plugs increase fuel consumption through poor performance as do blocked air filters.

Ditch the roof rack. Roof racks effect the aerodynamics of a car causing more drag and increasing fuel consumption. If it's not being used, then take it off. Do you really need to use it? Always use the interior space first.

And if you're coming up for a change of car, then consider a more fuel efficient model. Smaller cars are lighter and use less fuel. How often do you make really long journeys that you think would require a larger vehicle?

Most journeys involve commuting to and from work. Think about other options like using public transport or car sharing with a colleague or even a friend going to the same locality. What's a few minutes brisk walk compared to the fuel savings you'll make?

You don't have to give up the car completely - just try a few days / journeys a week by alternative means. You'll be amazed how much you save and if it involves a little exercise, how much better you start feeling.

photo credit: martoneofmany

England flags on cars affect mpg by 3 to 6 miles per gallon

If you feel obliged to show your support for our National team and adorn your car or van with those England flags - you'd better be prepared for more trips to the petrol station.

That was the message from a 'light-hearted' question on BBC Radio 2 last night when a listener wrote asking the question - "Do England flags affect the fuel economy of my car?".

An Expert was duly found to answer the question and his analysis was that each flag adds an extra 3 to 6 miles per gallon to your overall miles per gallon figure.

That's per flag! Most cars I've seen have been sporting at least 2 flags.

And it gets worse. The heavier or more loaded the vehicle is, the worse the fuel economy gets.

Now times that by all the flags you've seen driving around your neighbourhood and imagine that across the whole country and suddenly, the extra fuel use costs and pollution become almost Biblical in proportion.

Think I'll stick with a sticker - inside the back window.

If anyone has more figures to add - like the total cost to motorists and/or the environment during the World Cup etc, that would be great.

photo credit: will palmer

Slow down and save - Container shipping fleet saves 30% per journey

I was intrigued by a 'Tweet' last week (thank you @greenforyou which led me to a post on Treehugger.com, regarding changes made two years ago by the Danish shipping conglomerate Maersk.

The world of cargo shipping is, it seems, a cut-throat business with various carriers vying to get your shipments from a to b as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, this means running ships at full speed which is not the most fuel effiecient way of running these giant ships (or any other vehicle for that matter).

So Maersk decided to slow things down - a journey that used to take 3 weeks now takes a month but the saving in fuel - as much as 30% on a trip is paying off big-time.

And less fuel means the company is able to make substantial inroads on its co2 reduction targets.

I'd like to quote this passage from Treehugger: "According to the Times, Soren Stig Nielsen, Maersk's director of environmental sustainability, says that slowing down is "a great opportunity to lower emissions 'without a quantum leap in innovation'," and he notes in presentations to clients that "Going at full throttle is economically and ecologically questionable." And he's right."

Of course we all know (don't we?) that by driving our cars at 55mph rather than 65mph, reduces emissions by 20% and saves fuel at the same time.

Do pop over to Treehugger.com and read the full article. There's also links to other stories that involve fuel savings made by slowing down.

photo credit: jdnx