With fuel prices remaining high and household budgets under pressure, finding ways to improve your car’s fuel efficiency is more important than ever. Whether you’re commuting daily or doing the school run, small changes to how you drive and maintain your car can add up to big savings over time.
1. Keep Your Vehicle Well Maintained
Servicing your car regularly isn’t just about reliability—it’s also vital for fuel economy.
- Oil changes: Old or dirty oil causes more engine resistance, reducing efficiency.
- Air filters: A clogged air filter restricts airflow, forcing the engine to work harder.
- Spark plugs: Worn plugs lead to misfires and inefficient combustion.
- Brake drag: Binding brakes cause unnecessary friction and fuel consumption.
- Wheel alignment: Misaligned wheels increase rolling resistance, especially at higher speeds.
Even tyre condition can play a role—worn or unevenly inflated tyres increase drag and reduce MPG. Check pressures monthly and before long trips using your car’s handbook as a guide.
2. Drive Smoothly and Plan Ahead
Your right foot is one of the biggest influences on fuel consumption.
- Accelerate gently, and aim to keep engine revs low.
- Anticipate the road ahead—lift off the throttle early rather than braking harshly.
- On motorways, maintain a consistent speed rather than weaving between lanes or tailgating, which leads to erratic throttle use.
Many modern cars cut fuel supply when coasting in gear, so easing off early into a junction or red light can use no fuel at all.
3. Use Higher Gears Sooner
Driving in a lower gear than needed revs the engine higher than necessary, burning more fuel.
- Change up early—around 2,000 rpm for petrols and 1,500 rpm for diesels.
- On flat roads, fifth or sixth gear at 40 mph is often perfectly suitable.
- Avoid labouring the engine, but don’t be afraid to keep revs low where it feels smooth.
Manual cars benefit most from this technique, but many automatics now have ‘eco’ or manual modes to encourage efficient shifts.
4. Watch Your Speed – It Makes a Bigger Difference Than You Think
It’s well documented that higher speeds lead to disproportionately higher fuel consumption.
- Driving at 70 mph uses up to 15% more fuel than at 60 mph.
- At 80 mph, you could be burning 25% more fuel than at 70 mph.
Try driving in the left-hand lane where appropriate and keeping to 60–65 mph on dual carriageways where traffic flow allows. You’ll often only add a few minutes to your journey but save litres of fuel each month.
5. Ditch the Excess Weight and Drag
Roof boxes, bike racks, boot clutter—all of it adds weight or increases aerodynamic drag.
- A full roof box can reduce fuel economy by 10% at motorway speeds.
- Even an empty roof rack adds drag, so remove it when not in use.
- Empty your boot of tools, gym kits, and other non-essentials.
Every 50 kg of additional weight can increase fuel use by roughly 1–2% in smaller cars.
6. Use Air Conditioning and Heating Efficiently
Air-con relies on engine power—even in winter if your windows are fogged. And heated seats, windscreens and demisters all place additional load on your vehicle’s electrical system.
- Use air-con sparingly on short trips.
- At lower speeds, open windows instead.
- Don’t leave heating or seat warmers on longer than needed.
That said, at higher speeds, open windows can increase drag significantly—so in those cases, a brief blast of A/C may actually be more efficient.
7. Combine Short Trips
Engines are at their least efficient when cold. Fuel consumption can be 20–30% higher on the first few miles of a journey.
- Try to combine errands into one trip.
- Plan routes to minimise doubling back or idling in traffic.
- If possible, avoid peak congestion times when stop-start traffic burns more fuel.
Diesels in particular take longer to warm up and suffer most from repeated cold starts.
8. Use Cruise Control (But Only Where It Helps)
Cruise control can be helpful for saving fuel—but only on flat, open roads.
- On motorways, it maintains a constant speed and avoids over-accelerating.
- On hilly routes, cruise control may work against you, forcing the car to downshift and accelerate unnecessarily to maintain speed.
If your car has adaptive cruise control, even better—it adjusts your speed to traffic conditions more fluidly, preventing unnecessary acceleration.
9. Consider Tyres Designed for Efficiency
Not all tyres are made equal. Many manufacturers now offer low rolling resistance tyres, often marketed as “eco” tyres.
- These tyres reduce friction with the road surface, helping improve MPG.
- They may also wear slower and offer better wet grip in certain cases.
Check for EU tyre labels—look for tyres rated A or B for fuel efficiency.
10. Use Apps and Tools to Monitor Fuel Costs
Tracking your MPG and fuel spend helps you stay aware of how your habits affect your wallet.
- Use apps like Fuelio or your car’s onboard trip computer.
- Monitor fuel station prices with apps or websites like CheckFuelPrices.co.uk to avoid overpaying.
Keeping records also helps spot when something’s wrong—like a sudden drop in MPG indicating a mechanical issue.
Key Actions to Improve Fuel Economy
| What to Do | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Keep tyres inflated and service regularly | Reduces mechanical inefficiencies |
| Accelerate gently and avoid harsh braking | Minimises wasted fuel |
| Shift up early and avoid over-revving | Keeps engine running efficiently |
| Avoid high speeds where possible | Cuts aerodynamic drag |
| Remove roof boxes and heavy loads | Reduces engine effort |
| Limit use of A/C and heaters | Lowers auxiliary power drain |
| Combine journeys into one trip | Reduces cold engine running |
| Use cruise control sensibly | Maintains steady speed on motorways |
| Choose efficient tyres | Lowers rolling resistance |
| Monitor fuel prices and MPG | Improves cost awareness |
Fuel efficiency isn’t about one big change—it’s about dozens of small, consistent ones. From keeping your car properly maintained to driving more consciously, every adjustment can save you money at the pump and reduce your environmental impact.
By building these habits into your daily routine, you can keep your fuel spend under control—whatever the market throws your way.