Top ways to save on car running costs this year

It’s January, which means two things are inevitable. You’ve made a New Year’s resolution and you’ve probably already given up on it!

So how about making a more doable New Year’s resolution that’ll help you save money at the same time?

A great (and attainable) goal to have is to cut down your car’s running costs. Did you know that driving in the UK is one of the most expensive places in the world to do so? It’s 50% more expensive than any other country in Europe.

So to help you out we’ve put together some simple tips to help you save some pennies behind the wheel. You can thank us later!

Plan your trip around traffic

Traffic, in every way imaginable, is rubbish. Not only does it stop us getting anywhere, it costs us a lot of money. Stopping and starting drains petrol a lot faster than maintaining a regular, steady speed.

So, plan your trip to avoid traffic. Free apps such as Google Maps, and certain Sat Nav devices, provide live traffic updates. These alerts mean you can find the best route to take to avoid traffic. And if you’re about to get caught, or you’ve already hit it, they can guide you away.

Dodge traffic, save petrol and save money. Perfect!

Save on petrol

There are two ways you can save money when it comes to saving money on petrol – cut down on the amount you use and buy it for a cheaper price.

The first step is to drive in a way that makes your car guzzle less petrol. Some simple ways to do this include:

• Dodging traffic where possible to maintain a regular speed
• Keeping your car as light as possible – having 50kg less weight could cut the amount of fuel you use by 2%
• Turn off your aircon. Fuel efficiency is lower when your air-con is blasting and you’re travelling at low speeds, whereas at higher speeds, climate control has a lot less of an impact on your fuel tank
• Reduce your drag, the drag of your car relates to how resistant it is to the air moving against it. Having your windows open or having a roof rack on when you’re driving at speed will increase the drag
• Driving at the right speed. You’ll use 25% more petrol driving at 80mph than 70mph, so keep it slow and keep it safe
• Remove anything from your boot that you don’t need, it only makes you heavier and will use up much more petrol

Secondly, find the cheapest petrol in your area. Nowadays, supermarkets regularly have the lowest petrol costs, but it can change depending on where you are. Visit PetrolPrices.com to find the cheapest petrol in your area.

Do regular maintenance checks

A little bit of work now and then can stop big, expensive surprises in the future and lower your running costs.

Here are three things that are always worth checking:

• Regularly check and change your oil
• Check your tyre pressure, especially before big trips
• Change your air filter once a year – a bad air filter could be lowering your mileage by as much as 20%

Keep these three things maintained and you’re guaranteed to use less petrol.

Try car sharing

The easiest way to save money on your car? Use it less! The easiest way to use your car less? Car sharing!

If you have the opportunity to car share once, twice or a few times a week, take it. It means both you and a friend can cut down your running costs massively.

And lastly, make use of 1^ST REWARDS. You can save more than the cost of your car insurance through the year with our amazing discounts on your weekly shop, entertainment and even holidays! Check out 1^ST REWARDS today.