With our everyday costs rising as they are it’s a really good time to look at ways to cut costs.
Driving can be an expensive activity and with the price of fuel at an all-time high we can offer you the following tips to save money.
Check your tyre pressure
Under inflated tyres use more fuel and, on average, tyres lose up to 2lbs of pressure each month and even more if the weather is hot!. A tyre under inflated by 15psi can use around 5% more fuel and at today’s prices that can soon add up.
It’s an easy way to save money and it costs you nothing to check – call into any of our branches in Sudbury, Haverhill, Diss, Saffron Walden, Bury st Edmunds, or Stowmarket and we will check them for you, or follow our guide
https://www.treadfirst.co.uk/how-to-check-your-tread-depth-tyre-pressure/
Choose your tyres wisely
This is something we can help you with as buying the right tyre can make a big difference. Opting for the cheapest budget option is often a false economy. Added to the fact that budget tyres usually do not perform as well as those that cost a few more pounds, they often affect the fuel consumption and generally need replacing more often.
Tyres are graded on wet braking, tyre noise and fuel consumption. Fuel consumption scores, otherwise known as Rolling Resistance, are between A and E, with A being the best score.
The boring technical bit is with each rotation of the wheel, the tyre is deformed when it comes into contact with the road and as the tyre heats up some energy is lost so if you reduce the heat, you reduce the fuel consumption.
According to Michelin, £148.00 is the reduction in fuel costs on an average vehicle fitted with A rated tyres compared with E rated tyres https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/eu-tyre-label
You can find more details on tyre labels https://www.treadfirst.co.uk/new-tyre-labelling-system-to-be-implemented-this-may/
Avoid harsh acceleration and braking
Simply put this increases your fuel consumption and wears your tyres out so that’s two good reasons to drive with care.
Don’t carry unnecessary items in your vehicle
Any extra weight will increase the fuel you use so regularly clear out non-essential items from your car. This is a reason car manufacturers use to justify not supplying cars with a spare wheel but we think that is a step too far as filling your punctured tyre with tyre fill will ruin it, but that’s an article for another day! On average 50kg will increase your fuel use by 2%, and remove roof racks if you’re not using them as the drag they create can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%
Claim for pothole damage
Potholes are a source of frustration to all of us and despite this giving us business it upsets us to see the damage they cause.
We recommend reporting them to your local authority, this link will direct you to the right place https://www.gov.uk/report-pothole You can check to see if the pothole has already been reported and if it has you may be able to claim for compensation for any damage caused.
Don’t use windscreen wipers on icy windscreens
We are currently enjoying the summer weather but when the winter arrives use a scraper to remove the ice as windscreen wipers wear out more quickly and may be damaged when they are used on ice.
Don’t leave your car idling
Whilst we are talking about cold weather, as tempting as it is to leave your car running to clear the icy windscreen, on top of the risk of a car thief driving off with your pride and joy, you can be fined for leaving your engine running unnecessarily whilst your vehicle is stationery.
If you take on board these tips you could make quite a saving and remember no harsh braking however tempting it is when your passenger has an ice-cream!
