Cut the cost of driving

Petrol isn't going to come down in price. Even if we see more of the rapid yo-yo prices month by month, the overall annual trend is going up, at a faster and faster rate.

Many of us are already being priced out of the car market by fuel costs.

However few people realise that you can cut your petrol bills by more than 25% by following these few simple tips and tricks.

Improve MPG by up to 25%

Firstly shop around for fuel. Different petrol stations have different prices. For example my two closest garages are almost always 2 pence apart for 4 star petrol. The Tesco on the other side of town is 5 pence cheaper than average, so with petrol at £1.00 a litre I instantly save 5% right there by choosing where to fill up.

My wife shops at Tesco and often hands me further 5p off voucher promotions that appear on her receipts. Suddenly we are up to 10% off the petrol bill (although the promotions are not always available)

When driving on the Motorway, never hit 70mph. You car is most efficient around 62mph and as soon as you go faster than optimum, the fuel efficiency drops off like a stone. By keeping to optimum speed on motorways you can save 5% of your annual bill, or more if you are a regular motorway driver.

By driving more conservatively in traffic you can add another 7% cut to your bill. The brake is your enemy. Whenever you brake you are throwing away money. By accelerating less you brake less and therefore spend less on fuel. The energy saving trust have a great site with information on the techniques of smarter driving. If you plan your route to allow you to drive more often at optimum you can really make a dent in your annual petrol bill.

Turn off your engine at level crossings. I used to get stopped about 4 times a week at my local train crossing and wait for an average of 2 minutes each time.

Over a year that adds up to 400 minutes of idling which adds up to about 2 litres of fuel. Add to this the thousands of traffic lights and you can see how the pennies add up.

Take the roof rack off the car. The car designers built it with aerodynamics in mind, but even the metal bars of a roof rack will lower your fuel efficiency by up to 5%

Inflate your tires (the flatter they are the more friction there is and the more energy is wasted) and empty your boot of all that rubbish. Carrying around extra weight does cost you more. Even a diet can save you petrol money. By taking 50lbs out of the car you can reduce your fuel consumption by a further 1%.

If you have a reputable garage who are competent at engine remapping, this can save a percentage point or three. ECU Remapping is about electronically changing the ignition timing and other parameters in the engine control unit (ECU). This should not be attempted by amateurs, but pros can really deliver benefits.

Add all these together an a 25 or even 30% reduction in petrol use becomes an easily achievable goal. Then you can use the extra cash you save for something fantastic like a holiday. While I think about it, there are great ways to save money on flights available too.