We may not have much control over the price movement of petrol. However, with that said, there are ways to improve fuel efficiency when you drive. Follow these tips to help you save money on your petrol consumption.
1. Get the Pressure Right
Did you know that if your car tyres are under inflated, it uses up more fuel? Well maintained tyres are important because it will ensure safer and more economical driving. Check your car tyre pressure regularly (especially before a long journey). A correctly inflated tyre can improve fuel consumption by 2% – 3%. It is advisable to check the pressure in your car tyres every fortnight, or at the very least, once a month.
2. Pump When It’s Cooler
To maximize the value of petrol when you pump, fill petrol when the temperature is cooler, as this means petrol will be at its densest. We are charged based on volume when we purchase petrol, which means per litre, but not on density. Fill up your car’s petrol during the cooler time of the day such as in the morning or at night. Aside from denser petrol concentration when the weather is cooler, there will also be less evaporation compared to if you pump petrol during the hottest time of the day.
3. Don’t Tailgate
Avoid tailgating, it’s dangerous, and will also affect your petrol usage if the other driver slows down unexpectedly. Driving too close to the car in front will involve constant braking and then accelerating because you have to react quickly to what the car in front is doing. So remain at a safe distance as this will allow you to slow down gently and ease off the accelerator with less need to use the brakes. When you avoid heavy braking, you can reduce fuel consumption and also reduce wear and tear on your brake pads.
4. Use The Right Card
Did you know that 40% of credit cards in Malaysia offers car related benefits such as cashback or rewards points for petrol spending? A credit card that would be suitable for car owners should offer benefits on petrol, as well as benefits for other car related expenses. By using the right credit card, you can get back a certain percentage of the money you spend on fuel every time you pay for it with that credit card.
The Standard Chartered JustOne Platinum MasterCard is an ideal credit card for drivers. Below are some of the benefits the card offers:
- 15% Cashback for RM 2,500 min. monthly spend
- 10% Cashback for RM 1,500 mi. monthly spend, 5% RM 1,000 min. monthly spend & 0.2% Cashback on Other spend
- Exclusive Merchants Offers
- 15% Cashback limited to Auto Bill Payments, Online Purchases & Petrol
- Monthly Cashback capped at RM 85
5. Maintenance Is Key
Make sure you service your car regularly to ensure that the engine efficiency is maintained, and that you’re using the correct engine oil. Follow your car’s servicing schedule to avoid having to fix a major problem that could have been avoided if you serviced regularly. For example, regular oil changes, air-filter changes, and spark plug replacements will improve the efficiency of your vehicle, as well as improve fuel consumption.
6. Lighten It Up
Think carefully about what you need on a journey. If you do not need something, do not put it in your vehicle. This is because, the lighter the load, the lower the fuel consumption and emissions. Carrying excess weight will use up more petrol. So check your car and take out what you don’t need to reduce the weight you are driving around with.
7. Check The Traffic
Plan ahead so you can avoid travelling during peak hour when traffic tend to be the most congested. Stop-start driving is among the most fuel intensive forms of driving. A vehicle apparently also consumes 20% more petrol when stuck in traffic.
8. Drive Smoothly
The traffic light turning green is not a signal for you to step on the pedals, you’re not in a car race. Be mindful when you are trying to pick up speed. This is because when you accelerate quickly, you put a strain on your car. This will then also affect your fuel consumption. As a guide, aim to take 15-20 seconds to get to 80 km/h. This will help you to settle at an economic speed of 60-80 km/h. Remember, once you reach an efficient speed, try to maintain a constant pace as it will avoid wasting energy if you were to slow down and then have to accelerate again. When done well, smooth driving is safer, more relaxing and better for your car and fuel consumption.
9. Turn It Off
Picking someone up, or waiting for someone while they buy something at the kedai runcit? If you have to wait for your passengers, or even if you stop to answer a phone call for more than a few minutes, turn the engine off. Apparently, for every two minutes you leave your car idle, you use up the same amount of petrol if you were to travel about 1.5 km. Prolonged idling creates excess emissions and wastes fuel, so turn off your engine if you are stopping for more than 5 minutes.
10. Take The Smooth Road
Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel can rob you of up to 30 per cent of your fuel consumption. Every time the wheels bounce up and down, forward motion energy is removed from the vehicle. This causes the driver to apply more throttle – wasted fuel.
11. Don’t Drive Like A Maniac
Among the largest causes of fuel wastage happens as a result of aggressive driving. Weaving in and out of traffic, accelerating to and from traffic lights will waste petrol. It will also wear out your car components faster, like the brakes and tyres. By not driving aggressively, you can actually save up to 20% of petrol.
12. Skip The Premium Fuel
RON97 is more expensive than RON95, and most people will generally make the correlation that it will also mean it’s the higher quality fuel type. But there has been no concrete evidence to suggest that RON97 is actually better, or will give you more mileage. The mileage your get will get when you refuel will actually depend on the efficiency of your car, and also your style of driving. So even if it is more expensive, RON97 is not necessarily a better fuel. Save your money, if your car does not require it to use RON97 type of fuel only, opt for RON95 fuel.
On a last note, you can also benefit from the weekly change of fuel prices. Make the most of it by adapting your petrol purchases by saving during the weeks when petrol prices are lower, and avoid the expensive weeks unless you really need to refuel. If not, try to wait it out a week, just in case the petrol price goes down the next week.
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