Little-known driving hack could save drivers additional £406 on petrol costs
The spring budget announced that the 5p per litre fuel reduction will remain in place for the next year, with drivers continuing to pay 53p per litre fuel duty for the next year.
In response to this, automotive experts at Hippo Leasing have revealed how drivers in Britain can save an additional £406.24 on petrol costs. The experts analysed how much drivers could save by looking around for the cheapest offers on petrol within a five-mile radius in the top 20 most populated UK cities.
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The data revealed that if drivers used an app, such as PetrolPrices, to find the cheapest petrol on offer in their area, they could save up to £25.39 on a tank of petrol.
This saving was for Belfast, where if drivers in the city drove 3.6 miles from the centre (for a cost of 45p) they would get the tank for £25.84 cheaper than the most expensive in the city, proving it is always worth checking around for the prices.
The average Briton fills their fuel tank fully 16 times per year, which means if Britons planned their petrol visits to the cheapest petrol station in the area, they could generate a whopping saving of up to £406.24 a year.
Drivers in Newcastle can grab the biggest petrol saving in England of £14.
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Hippo Leasing has discovered that drivers in Newcastle can save themselves £14 on a tank of fuel by driving to the cheapest petrol station in a five-mile radius, and this saving includes the 25p it would cost to drive the extra miles.
Newcastle is beaten by Belfast for the whole of the United Kingdom, with motorists in Northern Ireland potentially having a saving of a whopping £25 on their tank of fuel should they choose to drive to the cheapest petrol station.
Coventry comes in third place with a saving of £13.94 should motorists drive to the cheapest petrol station.
Tom Preston, managing director and automotive expert at Hippo Leasing, said: “Don’t wait for your dashboard light to flash to tell you to fill up.
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"It will cost you on average 35p to drive an extra few miles to a cheaper station in the area.
"This would be worthwhile if the savings on pence per litre are dramatic enough.”
There are several other fuel-saving tips that drivers have been encouraged to follow.
One of the most important ones is the driving technique, which should allow drivers to operate their vehicles in a smooth and steady way.
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By using excessive speed and driving erratically, motorists will suffer from additional resistance, which in turn will result in worse fuel economy.
Experts stress that simple things such as decreasing the speed by 20mph could increase a car's MPG by as much as 45 percent.
David James, sales director at Right Fuel Card, also urged drivers to think about how they are using their brakes.
He said: “Using your brakes less is a popular fuel-saving technique as it maximises your vehicle’s stored momentum and energy.
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“This can be done by thinking ahead and taking your foot off the accelerator in advance, to prevent slamming on your brakes.
“We do not recommend that you avoid using your brakes completely as this can of course be dangerous. It’s also possible to allow the regenerative braking in an electric vehicle to handle most of the braking for you.”
Another important tip that motorists should follow involves anticipating events on the road. This includes things such as predicting when a traffic light will change from red to green.
By anticipating in advance, motorists will not only increase safety but also their car's fuel economy as they would be able to bring the vehicle to a smooth stop without harsh braking.
