Features

With the cost of fuel at the pumps still increasing, motorists are trying to find ways of cutting their driving costs.

We asked how the rising costs have affected you, and what tips you have for keeping your costs down.

Here are some of your comments.  You can add your views and top tips as well, using the form at the bottom of the page.

David Brinicombe says:

Drive a diesel.  If you live in a hilly area choose the lightest suitable car.  Choose the smallest engine size so it works harder and more economically.  Use the highest gear suitable to keep engine revs down.  Run the engine at maximum efficiency which is in the lower RPM range at full throttle or no throttle: Theoretically, the most economical driving is alternating between full throttle and coasting, but that is not recommended, 

Drive at the most economic speed for your vehicle: The least economical speed is stationary with the engine is running - zero. The economic range starts when you can run comfortably in top gear - say about 50 MPH. As the speed rises, the engine can become more economical up to about 3000 RPM for a diesel. At moderately fast speeds, say up to 65 MPH, you spend less time losing energy from the many losses in a car. The heat wasted from the radiator and the exhaust would heat a family house in winter.

Above 65 MPH or so, air resistance increases steeply which is also a total waste of energy. Tucking into slow traffic on motorways will save 10% to 20% fuel and actually only takes a little longer. The difference between 75 MPH and 65 MPH is only 15% or 9 minutes per hour.  Drive to minimise braking which is a total waste of energy. Drive so as to minimise braking, such as slowing naturally when approaching corners or traffic or lights: Cornering hard loses speed like braking and is also a total waste of energy.

Slack off speed when approaching the top of a hill, you will soon pick it up on the downhill. Choose a level modern road even if it is longer than a winding road with hills: I live in Devon and use the A30 and A38 in preference to going over Dartmoor. It uses less fuel and is also quicker. Each hill will add the equivalent of 1 or 2 miles to the journey.

I can get up to around 12 miles per litre (54 MPG) in my Mondeo Estate 1.8 litre diesel.

John Entwistle says:

One of the best ways to improve mpg figures is to change the engine oil and filter.Use flushing oil to clean the engine.Add a high quality oil, such as 5W-30 grade.Tick over will drop by as much as 50 rpm and higher gears can be engaged at lower revs.Engine oil should be changed at every 5,000 miles.Engines love clean oil. Do it now.P.S. this will extend the life of the cambelt by improving lubrication of the tensioner.

Doug and Sally Holt say:

"We are  a retired couple in our 70's living six miles from Dorchester. Our income is state pension plus a small pension from employment. Husband disabled due to stroke and heart attack. Wife no longer derives due to macular degeneration. We run an 11 year old automatic Polo which costs us £2 in petrol to get to town and back. We now restrict our visits to getting all our needs together. A year ago we could go in whenever we wanted to."

Mike Nichols says:

"I live approx 3 miles from my place of work, and I now cycle to work almost every day, only really bad weather stops me doing this.

When it comes to motorway journeys I used to regularly travel at 90mph but now regulate myself to 65-70 in order to keep consumption down.  Other journeys are much more considered nowadays too to keep mileage down.

We have not compromised any other area of spending, but rather have reduce our reliance on the car as much as possible to keep our monthly spend on fuel down, although I am now regretting my last choice of vehicle - a 3.0 litre turbo diesel 4x4 !!!!"

Bruce Denney says:

"I have sold the less fuel efficient of our 2 cars and now share one car.
I drive more slowly on the motorway
I take the shortest route rather than the fastest route.
I avoid travel where possible
In my work I tele-commute and am considering charging extra for travel I now drive a lot more carefully and watch my mpg very carefully.
On my current tank I have done about 400miles at 52mpg

This is all VERY GOOD news, we need to waste less and the high prices seem to be doing the job of making us all greener."

Richard & Sandra Ferns say:

"We run a small secretarial & copying service from home, and have since 1981.  Wherever possible we do not drive the car any more , we cycle or  walk to our customers."

Carolyn Finbow says:

"An area I have not seen touched on so far in the ‘great fuel price rise saga’  is the 40p a mile limit the government have set on the amount that can be claimed for travel expenses.  This is designed to ensure that claimants are not making any profit out of their journeys for work etc. 

Recently retired at 65 I joined my local Link Scheme and regularly drive elderly and/or disabled people for hospital appointments and similar journeys and claim 40p a mile from Link.  At first this covered my expenses ( I drive a very economical car) but now the price rises mean that many volunteers like me will have to reconsider if they can afford to continue to volunteer in this way. I wonder if Mr Brown might reconsider this issue?"

Godfrey Verner says:

"I have been yesting many different cars to improve MPG. With diesel cars do not put your foot hard on the  throttle when climbing hills in order to get mere power. You merely squirt more fuel into the engine without getting more power. With a petrol engine you do get more power but it's expensive.

I drive a heavy 2.5 litre diesel car and have no difficulty in averaging 43 to 47 MPG. If you have a computer on your car make sure you use it to watch your consumption and it's amazing how much you can save. I drove back fom Spain this year mostly on motorways and did not drive fast but watched my computer and was gentle on the throttle and averaged 47.5 MPG. I hope this information may help some lead footed drivers."

Graham Lascelles says:

"You made a claim on your lunchtime news that if a truck reduces its speed from 55 to 50 mph then it changes its fuel consumption from 7 to 9 miles per gallon a 28% increase.

What is the basis for this claim?  The major cause of resistance is likely to be aerodynamic and this generally changes as the square of the speed so the drag at 50mph will be approximately 18% less.

However the truck will at 50mph take 10% longer to get anywhere so the actual change in miles per gallon is more likely to be only 10%.  A far less sexy but also less misleading figure."