By Tony Burgess, director – merchant network at fuelGenie

Tony Burgess, director – merchant network at fuelGenie

As we exit Q1 2023, petrol and diesel prices are showing no signs of falling significantly anytime soon. This means paying for a full tank will continue to put a strain on finances for the foreseeable future, leading motorists to resort to inventive methods to cut costs.

Luckily, an increasingly popular trend is just around the corner, and one that may well help alleviate the financial burden: hypermiling.

In a nutshell, hypermiling is the practice of driving your car as efficiently as possible so that you can maximise its fuel economy. Through a combination of adjusted driving techniques and routine maintenance, hypermiling can be applied to any vehicle, removing the need to invest in a new model in the hope that fuel economy may be improved.

Here are some hypermiling tips that could make the difference in the long run when it comes to saving on fuel costs!

The need for reduced speed

Why drive at 70mph when 60 will do just fine? The first and most obvious tip is to ease off the accelerator – in fact, excessive speeding may well be the biggest drain on fuel! Ensuring acceleration is gentle is key to fuel-efficient vehicle usage and will also make for a smoother ride. Always try driving in the highest possible gear for your vehicle while remaining well within the speed limit.

Feel the pressure

Here’s a deflating fact for you: driving with underinflated tyres is one of the easiest ways to waste fuel when you’re on the road. Friction is increased whenever your vehicle’s tyres are low, forcing the engine to work harder and therefore consume more fuel. So check for the correct tyre pressure in your car manual and make sure to stop by the inflator during your next trip to the petrol station.

Remove the junk from your trunk

Any extra weight you’re carrying will affect your fuel efficiency, so it’s probably time to declutter your boot. In fact, don’t just stop there – remove that rack on top of your vehicle if you don’t need it, as it will only create wind resistance.

The heat is on

Not one motorists will want to hear on a hot summer’s day, but minimising the use of air-conditioning is crucial to ensure good hypermiling practice. In fact, air-con is capable of increasing fuel usage by as much as 10%. But before you wind down the window instead, think again – an open window can cause wind drag, which will also affect your fuel economy. Time to invest in a portable fan, then!

Braking bad

Slamming the brakes equates to poor fuel economy. Instead, try anticipating the road ahead by adjusting your speed and coasting into a smoother, gradual halt. It will make for better hypermiling and your passengers will thank you for a more pleasant ride.

Time to switch off

The most ardent hypermilers will always try to minimise stops of any kind, but sometimes we all need to switch off – literally! Whenever you’re waiting at a rail crossing or you’re stuck in traffic, cutting off your engine will actually save fuel.

The reverse effect

Now we’re getting into the more obscure hypermiling tips – believe it or not, even the way you park can affect your fuel usage and a good place to start is to avoid the need to reverse. If we approach it strictly from a mileage consumption standpoint, backing up and pulling forward amounts to twice the driving of just pulling out of a parking space and driving off. So where possible, try park somewhere you can easily pull out of facing forward. On top of that, low gears make the worst use of fuel – another reason for avoiding needless reversing manoeuvres!

While hypermiling can certainly help save money in the long run, it’s always important to put the above tips into practice with both care and caution. After all, no amount of money saved on fuel can make up for the expense – both financial and physical – of any damage or personal injury sustained while hypermiling.

Which brings us to our last cost-saving tip: business fuel cards, of course! Any fleet business or company with a degree of travel-associated costs should consider fuel cards for their employees. Fuel cards such as fuelGenie and fuelGenie+ allow drivers to access some of the UK’s lowest fuel prices through supermarkets such as Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, providing a dramatic increase in convenience, minimising route deviation and saving time as well as money.

fuelGenie will be at next Tuesday’s Great British Fleet Event to discuss fuel management and fuel-saving tips. To register for a free ticket, please click here.