The fuel price increase on 1 April was unfortunately no April Fool’s joke. Motorists are now paying an extra R1.62 per litre of petrol, which means that if you fill up your 50-litre tank twice a month, you’re now spending an additional R160 per month on fuel.

It is going to be very difficult for people to find that extra money each month, as most people are already on a tight budget. So instead of trying to find the money to meet these costs, rather get clever and reduce the amount you use.

By driving more sensibly you can increase the number of kilometres you get out of every litre of petrol. Every extra kilometre and rand saved helps to reduce the fuel bill. Driving more slowly and less aggressively is also known to reduce stress!

The following fuel-saving measures could see your petrol bill cut by R170 per month – negating the recent price increase. These savings are based on a medium-sized car driving 1 000km per month.

• Inflate your tyres and save R24: Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance between your vehicle and the road. Inflated tyres decrease rolling resistance between your vehicle and the road.
• Reduce drag and save R84: Remove external fixings such as roof boxes, their rails and bike racks. They change airflow over the vehicle and increase the aerodynamic draft. Opening sunroofs and windows will also increase air drag over the car. This means a greater force is needed to drive the vehicle through the air, requiring extra power from your engine, and increasing fuel consumption and emissions.
• Drop the aggression and save R42: Accelerating hard and using high engine speeds will make the engine consume more fuel. Accelerating more steadily to the desired speed, and using the engine in its most efficient range, can reduce consumption and emissions. According to the Automobile Association, changing gear at 2500rmp and 2000rmp for petrol and diesel engines respectively, is recommended
• Reduce speed on the highway and save R24: Each 10km you drive over 100kph increases your fuel consumption by 7%. This saving is based on someone who spends 40% of their time on highways and reduces their speed from 120kph to 100kph.

Source: Automobile Association South Africa

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