Save around R1,000 a month on fuel costs
Fuel hikes are so commonplace that it’s almost boring. Until you check your account and see that you’ve got even less at the end of the month than normal… It’s rough out there for motorists. But luckily, the king has sent out direct orders for us to help you save your pennies every month.
The first way that we can help, is by telling you about our decreasing premiums. If you join our kingdom and get our comprehensive car insurance, we’ll decrease your premiums every single month in line with the depreciating value of your car.
The second way to save, focuses on how you use your car. We bet you didn’t realise just how much your driving habits impact your petrol usage, which obviously influences how much you spend.
Driving better could improve your fuel economy by 40%. So, if your tank usually gets you 650km, then you could get up to 900 km with smart driving. How does this influence your pocket? Well, if you fill up 48 times a year at R700 per tank, a 40% reduction in fuel consumption could = savings of over R13,000 a year.
That’s around R1,000 a month that you get to use on whatever you want.
Minor tweaks that can help protect your pocket at the pump
All about your tyres
Let’s start with tyre pressure. The lower the pressure, the more fuel your car uses to move, so check this regularly. While you’re there, check your wheel alignment. Incorrect alignment increases resistance between the tyres and the road, which = higher fuel consumption.
Keep it smooth and calm
Aggressive driving (think harsh braking and quick acceleration) eats up fuel. It can even result in using 60% more fuel. Focus on keeping a safe following distance and pulling away smoothly, and avoid overtaking unnecessarily, tailgating, and stopping abruptly.
Speed kills the pocket
Speeding isn’t advisable for safety reasons, but from a fuel consumption perspective, speeding is a gas guzzler. For example, when you drive at around 110km/h then your car uses up to 25% more fuel than it would at 90km/h.
Choose the right gear
Generally, the higher the gear, the lower the petrol consumption. If you let the revs drop too low, you tend to strain the engine. If you don’t have a ‘gear shift indicator’ in your car, then gear up when your revs hit 2,000 for diesel cars and 2,500 revs in a petrol car.
Keeping things cool
This tip is about 2 things. The first is your aircon usage. Your car uses less fuel to power your aircon at higher speeds than lower speeds, because the higher the revs, the more power the engine produces, allowing it to run the aircon more efficiently. The second is about drag, caused by driving with the windows open. The more drag, the more fuel your car uses to move. So keep the windows closed.
Rather keep cool by using your aircon at higher speeds, air vents for lower speeds, and open windows for slow-as-a-turtle speeds.
Maintenance checks
Lots of your car parts impact fuel consumption, so if they’re not working properly, they could cause your car to use more fuel. Make sure to go for regular check-ups to change things like dirty oil, dirty air filters, dirty injectors, a faulty exhaust, worn spark plugs, and low coolant levels.
Turn on and go
This is a no-brainer… But in the interest of handing out as many useful tips as possible, we should also tell you to avoid letting your car idle. Rather turn your car on when you’re ready to drive and you’ll use less fuel. It’s a small impact, but 1 that adds up over time.
Plan your trips
Prepping for each trip sounds like too much effort, but driving on your own all the time or during heavy congestion, are 2 of the biggest guzzlers of fuel. Rather use navigation apps to check the flow of traffic so you can either leave when things have calmed down a bit or find alternative routes. You can also explore a lift club for your kids to get to school and for you to get to work, so that you can share fuel costs.
When you use even just a handful of these tips, you’ll use less fuel. Which means that you’ll spend less. And of course, if you’re comprehensively covered by the king, your premium will also decrease so you’ll get double the savings!
Ready to rake in some big bucks? Give our royal client care team a call on 0860 50 50 50. They’ll sort you right out.
