MONEY saving guru Martin Lewis has shared seven top tips to drive down fuel costs.
The MoneySavingExpert.com founder, 49, urged motorists to get into higher gears, brake smoothly and keep moving if possible.
His advise comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a 5p cut in fuel duty in his Spring Statement to help ease the cost of living crisis.
But drivers were furious that some forecourts refused to pass on the saving to their customers.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told drivers to boycott firms pocketing the tax cut.
More fuel is used when drivers put their foot down harder on the accelerator.
But cars can reach the same speed with much less power. Staying under 3,000 revs as a rough rule will help.
Martin added: “If you accelerate too quickly, chances are you’ll then have to brake hard, which isn’t exactly efficient.”
Always drive in the highest gear possible.
Moving up through them earlier than feels natural will help to take some pace out of acceleration, keep revs down and improve fuel efficiency.
Being aware of your position in the road, as well as what is coming up ahead, can help you drive more smoothly and avoid harsh braking or accelerating which can worsen fuel efficiency.
Martin said: “When you press the brake you are effectively converting the energy you’ve paid to put into the car into heat.”
Where possible, make the most of the car’s momentum to slow naturally. If you brake frequently during a journey, you will also end up accelerating more too which uses more fuel.
Try to slow naturally rather than hitting the brakes.
Sharp acceleration and screeching brake noises are not good.
Martin urged drivers to imagine from traffic light to traffic light doing that.
He said: “The person behind who speeds up and slows down more slowly will still be behind you at the next light, they’ll just have spent far less getting there.”
The first metre driven is always the most expensive. Starting a car uses a huge amount or energy so it is more efficient to safely roll up gradually to a traffic light as it changes from red to green.
This will avoid having to come to a complete halt and start up again, which is less efficient.
Coasting may feel cheaper, but it is dangerous.
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Martin said on his MoneySavingExpert.com site: “You always need access to the accelerator to avoid unexpected hazards.
“Plus cars can handle far worse on sharp corners when in neutral.”
