Fuel-saving tips

Experts reveal 11 fuel-saving tips

Want to know how to reduce your fuel bill? Who better to ask than the world record-breaking experts?

John and Helen Taylor look just like any ordinary couple yet, between them, they've amassed 46 world speed records and 38 for economical driving. Oh, and they once managed to go around the world in a VW Golf on just 24 tanks of Shell fuel (read more on thathere).

So what they don't know about the subject of eco-driving isn't worth knowing. And they think we can all save 10 per cent on our fuel bill with just a little effort.

Here, in their own words, are easy, practical tips to put money back in your pocket and help save the world at the same time.

1) Check your tyre pressures every week
'For every 1psi (pound per square inch) that your tyres are under-inflated, your fuel efficiency suffers by 3 per cent. If you don't know the right pressures then check inside the door or in the manual for the info. Don't over-inflate them, though - that's dangerous.'

2) Look after your car
'Your car is one of the most expensive things you'll buy in your lifetime, so look after it. Service it regularly. If you put it off you'll end up spending more at the pump because your engine won't run as efficiently and you'll use more fuel.'

3) Get rid of the dead weight
'Get rid of the unnecessary junk in your car. For every 45kg of weight, you lose about 2 per cent of the efficiency. We did a challenge with a radio DJ in Singapore and found a huge toolkit which he hadn't used in five years, two seats for his baby and three sets of golf clubs!

'By getting rid of 200g, and putting into practice a few other tips, he went from getting 350km per tank of fuel to 550km in the very first day!'

4) Drive safe
'Driving safely and economically go almost hand in hand. Make sure you look well ahead and read what's coming so you don't end up over-braking and then accelerating hard again.'

5) Get to the highest gear as soon as possible
'In city driving it's tempting to keep the car in a lower gear, but just by accelerating gently and smoothly and changing to the highest gear as fast as possible we can all make major savings.

'Don't bog the engine down by changing too early - that's counter productive. But change at less than 2000 revs and keep going all the way to top gear and you'll get much better fuel economy.'

6) Don't go too fast
'It sounds obvious, but perhaps not for the reason you think. Wind resistance increases dramatically as you go faster, we tend to go about 5-10mph less than the speed limit and it saves a massive amount of fuel. And we get there nice and relaxed and just as fast, really!

'If you have a long journey then cruise control can be a godsend, too. Personally we don't use it, but then it does have a real place in regulating the speed and preventing the driver losing concentration and slipping 10mph before accelerating again.'

7) Close the window
'Above about 50mph then you need to close the window, because that's when the aerodynamics start to kick in. An open window is a disaster for fuel economy and can cost as much as a third more fuel.

If you need cooling, use air conditioning, but sparingly! That can take a third more fuel too, so keep it on low.'

8) Don't idle
'A car sat for two minutes with the engine turning uses enough fuel to drive one mile. As a rule of thumb if you're parked for 10 seconds or more you shouldn't idle the car, but as a global average people are sat idling for 5-10 minutes.'

9) Plan your route carefully
'Sat-nav systems are wonderful because there's no more getting lost and wasting fuel. It will easily pay for itself just in saved fuel in the first year, and you'll save yourself the stress of getting lost!

Even if you have one, it could be time to update it. Newer systems come with 'eco' modes which help you avoid traffic jams.'

10) Don't drive angry
'A stressed driver is very rarely an efficient driver, so if the kids are screaming, you've had a row with your partner or you're just annoyed, then don't drive. Take 10 minutes, go for a walk, settle the kids down, do whatever you have to do to settle yourself down before you get in the car.'

11) Don't coast
'My grandfather used to talk about driving to the top of the mountain, switching off and coasting down. But if you do that in a modern car you'll lose the steering and it's dangerous.

'The modern equivalent is to leave the car in neutral wherever possible and coast, but actually we've found this doesn't work. In a modern car it's better to select the appropriate gear, keeping around 2000 revs, so the engine doesn't get stressed. Use the gearbox and don't just leave it in neutral because this will actually use more fuel.'