Simple fuel saving ideas

A lot of drivers will go to some lengths to find a cheap car insurance rate, many of whom will spend quite a long time getting a number of motor insurance quotes so as to get the best deal. This is a good habit to get into; some people even find they can save a couple of hundred pounds this way.

Considering the fact that we are prepared to put a lot of effort into finding a cheap car insurance quote, it is surprising that a lot of us do not put so much into reducing our other motoring costs.

Take fuel, for example. The average fuel bill for a UK driver is £1,226 - that is more than double what most people pay for their motor insurance policy. Although many drivers complain about the cost of fuel, few seem to be concerned about how much money they are pumping into their car fuel tank and even fewer actually go about reducing this expenditure.

This is probably because we pay out £40 or £50 a time to fill up our cars and we don't usually see a final sum that we have spent on fuel over the year to shock us into action, unlike with a cheap car insurance policy.

So how can we go about paying less for our fuel? There are actually a lot of simple things we can do that will contribute towards cheaper motoring costs. You may also find that many of these changes will also have other positive effects, such as being more environmentally friendly and helping you to get cheap car insurance quotes.

Cut your mileage
The most obvious place to start is the number of miles that you cover. The average yearly mileage for a UK driver stands at about 12,000, with most drivers taking the car out at least once a day.

If you want to reduce the number of miles you drive, a good idea is to make a note of your car's odometer reading on the 1st of the month. Then, on the first day of the next month you can come back and be able to calculate exactly how far you have driven. This measurement then allows you to pay close attention to how well you are doing in cutting your mileage. You may also find it useful to monitor your mileage from year to year.

You may be surprised to learn that around a quarter of all car journeys are made to destinations less than two miles away. So next time you need to pop down your local shop, why not walk or take the bike instead of the car? After all, it is completely free and good exercise too.

For those longer journeys when it just isn't practical to walk or cycle, why not go by bus or train? Going by public transport can often end up being cheaper than taking the car, when you consider the money you spend on fuel and parking.

Another option that can dramatically cut your miles is to car share. If you know you live near a work colleague (who you get on with!), suggesting sharing a car for the journey to and from work could save you both quite a lot of money. To find other people who take a similar route to work, have a look at http://www.liftshare.co.uk.

Mileage is one of the factors taken into account when your motor insurance premium is being calculated so by reducing the number of miles you do, you are more likely to get a cheap car insurance quote.

Be more fuel efficient
If you are planning on cutting your motoring bills, it is possible to reduce the amount of fuel your car uses by altering your driving habits to be more fuel efficient.

Next time someone roars past you on the roads, take comfort in the thought that they will at least be spending a lot of money on fuel. By driving smoothly and refraining from harsh acceleration and braking, you may find that you can reduce the amount of fuel you use up to by 30%.

Similarly, driving fast will drain your fuel tank more quickly than driving at a more reserved pace. It has been found that doing 70mph uses up 10% more fuel than 56mph, which is the most fuel efficient speed. The more you go over 70, the greater your fuel usage.

One really simple idea is to turn your engine off when you know you will be stationary for some time, such as at a level crossing. Some level crossings even have signs nearby reminding drivers to do this.

A fuel saving technique which could also reduce your risk of having to claim on your cheap car insurance policy is to leave more room between you and the car in front. By leaving more space, you have extra space to see what is happening ahead and can let your car slow down by itself instead of having to brake. If you do need to brake, you have more space to do so, thus reducing your chance of having an accident.

Improve your car's mpg
If you want to make your fuel last a bit longer, you might want to consider improving the fuel economy of your car.

The first step is to take anything heavy out of your car that you are unnecessarily carting around. The more your car weighs, the more fuel it will need to move around. The same goes for reducing drag, so take off those roof racks and bull bars and the car will get more miles to the gallon because it is more aerodynamic.

The way you cool down when driving in hot weather will also affect how much fuel you use. Air conditioning will suck plenty of fuel out of your tank and is best avoided when possible. Unfortunately, the obvious alternative of having the windows down can be equally problematic at high speeds, although it is a good solution when driving slowly. The only fuel gauge-friendly way of keeping cool in your car is to use the car's cool air ventilation system.

Our final idea for keeping your mpg as high as possible is to keep your car well maintained, which will also reduce the chances of an accident and help to protect your cheap car insurance premium. By keeping the tyres at the correct pressure and the engine in good shape, you shouldn't use any more fuel than you need to.

Pay less for your motor insurance - get a cheap car insurance quote with duck2water
The folks at duck2water Car Insurance Services are dedicated to helping you save money on all aspects of motoring. As well as advice on reducing your fuel bills, we can also help out when it comes to getting the most out of your no claims bonus. Read more about no claims bonuses.

However, our real money-saving specialty is motor insurance. As one of the leading UK cheap car insurance companies we are able to save our customers up to 25% on their motor insurance policies.

The reason why car insurance with duck2water is so unbelievable cheap is because we don't have the high running costs of other motor insurance providers. We don't have a huge call centre or high street store and we don't put millions of pounds into advertising, all of which means that you get the cheap car insurance premium that you want.

When you get a motor insurance policy with us, it will come with legal expenses insurance at no extra cost. It will cover you for up to £50,000 in legal expenses and is a feature that other motor insurance companies will charge up to £50 for.

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