Lose all that dead weight: Removing any heavy objects you might unnecessarily be lugging around in the boot of your car is an easy way to save petrol costs.
At the same time, an unused roof rack will be increasing drag and your fuel expenses with it - take it down when you're not using it!
Easy on the A/C : Another money-saving effect, which is often overlooked, is that the right approach to air conditioning. Tests show that running an AC in a car can increase fuel usage by up to 10 per cent since the compressor is driven by the petrol or diesel-consuming engine.
The alternative is to drive with the windows down except that at speeds above 60kph the drag produced by the windows also pushes up fuel usage. Experts recommend opening the windows to keep cool in city traffic and switching on the car's AC when driving at higher speeds.
Stop driving aggressively: Repeated, speedy acceleration and abrupt braking will drive up your fuel cost and also stress out people around you with unnecessary noise.
If you switch up to the next gear at a medium rpm of around 2,500, you'll be doing so more efficiently. As such, it pays to drive smoothly and with a degree of foresight.
Road safety experts say it's generally not a good idea to try and save fuel by disengaging the clutch on a downhill road, as the car will handle differently and can lose stability.
