Where possible and safe, use cruise control at a reduced speed. Wind resistance (and fuel use) increases quickly at higher road speeds.
Minimise accelerating and braking. Hard accelerating increases fuel use dramatically, and braking wastes the energy that has been used to get the car up to speed.
Change up through the gears. Driving in a lower gear than necessary and revving the engine hard wastes fuel. An automatic transmission will shift up through the gears quicker if you ease back on the accelerator once the car has gained enough speed.
Use air conditioning only when necessary. Air conditioners increase fuel use by about 10%. However, at speeds of more than 80km/h, light use of air conditioning is better for fuel consumption than an open window that increases wind resistance.
Don’t warm up or idle your engine. By switching off the engine, even for a short period, you’ll save more fuel than is used to restart the engine.
Fill your fuel tank only to the first click of the fuel nozzle. Any extra fuel can be spilled or lost from the tank’s overflow.
Keep your tyre pressure up to the recommended level. Low pressure increases rolling resistance and fuel use.
Remove unnecessary weight and roof racks. Unnecessary weight increases fuel consumption. Roof racks and spoilers increase wind resistance and fuel consumption.
Service your car regularly. Keeping your car properly serviced and tuned will minimise its emissions and fuel use.
Last updated June 2018
