Save on vehicle fuel
Most households spend about the same amount of money on vehicle fuel as on energy for their home, so savings here can really add up. [1] On This page we give you some some easy things you can do to reduce your petrol or diesel bill, drive your car efficently and when buying a new vehicle, comparing the efficiency of various models.
Work out the best vehicle for you
Did you know?
- Transport accounts for roughly 20% of our total greenhouse gas emissions [2]
- The average household spends just over $2,100 on petrol and diesel in a year [1]
- The same household will spend roughly $1,250 on other transport services including air travel, public transport, etc [1]
- In June 2008 petrol and diesel prices got to $2.20 and $1.85 a litre respectively. Since then prices have been very variable.
Reduce how much you drive
- Where you can, walk, cycle or use public transport instead of driving
- Try to combine several small trips into one journey, engines are at their lowest efficiency when cold
- Consider car pooling - if you go from one to four people in a car, it's four times as efficient.
Drive sensibly
The way you drive your car has a huge impact on the amount of fuel you use. You could save about 20% of your fuel by using some efficient driving techniques.
- Maintain following distances and look well ahead so you can accelerate and brake gently rather than suddenly
- Without labouring the engine too much, shift into higher gears early
- Watch your speed, driving slightly slower use noticably less fuel
- If your car isn't going to be moving for more than 30 seconds, switch the engine off. Idling just wastes fuel
- Only use your airconditioning when you really need it, it adds extra load to your engine.
Maintain your car
- A regularly serviced vehicle costs less to run
- Keeping tyre pressures correct avoids using unecessary fuel
- Put your car on a diet, extra weight, like golf clubs you use once a week or all the junk in your boot, means extra fuel use
- Reduce drag by taking off roof racks of luggage boxes when you don't need them.
Work out the best vehicle for you
If you are buying a new car, then that is the best time to really reduce your fuel running costs.
- Think about what you use your vehicle for most of the time
- Work out what size and type of vehicle you really need rather than just want
- Once you know what you need, you can compare the fuel efficiency as well as other features of similar models
- Don't forget to look for the fuel economy label on cars you are considering, and also check on the Fuel$aver website.
Once you have done everything you can to improve your fuel efficiency and reduce your running costs, filling up with biofuels is an extra bonus, for your engine and for the environment.
More information
- Driving efficiently and saving on your fuel bill
- AA ENERGYWISE™ Rally
- Buying a vehicle
- New technologies
- Biofuels.
- Let's carpool website - the easy way to carpool in the Wellington region.
Notes:
[1] Statistics New Zealand, 2010, Household Economic Survey: Year ended 30 June 2010 (online).
[2] Ministry for the Environment, 2011, The New Zealand Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2009 (online).
