Fuel is one of the biggest running costs of owning a car. These are the changes that genuinely make a difference to your bill — starting with the simplest and most effective.
1. Compare prices before you fill up
This is the single biggest saving available. Prices between nearby stations can differ by 10p a litre or more — that's £5 or more on a single tank. Checking the cheapest forecourt near you before you drive out takes seconds and adds up to a serious sum over a year.
2. Use supermarket forecourts
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons use cheap fuel to attract shoppers, so their forecourts almost always undercut branded oil-company stations. If there's a supermarket forecourt on your route, it's usually the cheapest option.
3. Avoid motorway services
Fuel at motorway services is typically 15–20p a litre dearer than in town, because drivers have nowhere else to go. Fill up before you join the motorway, or come off at a junction with a supermarket nearby.
4. Don't carry weight or drag you don't need
Every extra kilogram costs fuel. Empty the boot of heavy items you don't need, and take off roof racks or roof boxes when they're not in use — an empty roof box can add a surprising amount to your fuel use through wind resistance alone.
5. Keep your tyres properly inflated
Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and burn more fuel. Check your tyre pressures roughly once a month and before long trips, and set them to the figure in your handbook (higher for a fully loaded car).
6. Drive smoothly
Harsh acceleration and heavy braking waste fuel. Reading the road ahead, easing off early and keeping a steady speed can cut consumption noticeably — gentle driving can improve economy by 10% or more compared with an aggressive style.
7. Ease off the motorway speed
Wind resistance rises sharply with speed. Cruising at 70mph uses considerably more fuel than 60mph, so easing back a little on long motorway runs saves both fuel and money without adding much to your journey time.
8. Cut down on short trips
A cold engine is far less efficient than a warm one, so short hops use disproportionately more fuel. Combining several errands into one trip, or walking and cycling the very shortest journeys, makes a real difference.
9. Don't idle unnecessarily
An idling engine burns fuel and gets you nowhere. If you're going to be stopped for more than a minute or so — and it's safe — switching the engine off saves fuel (most modern cars do this automatically with stop-start).
10. Use the right fuel
For most cars, standard E10 petrol or B7 diesel is exactly what the manufacturer intended. Paying extra for premium grades rarely pays off unless your vehicle specifically requires high-octane fuel — so don't spend more than you need to at the pump.