Driving 101
Get on the road to cutting your fuel costs
ENERGYWISE™ provides information and funding for householders and consumers so they can take action easily to improve their energy use, at home, at work and on the road.
Here are some simple tips to help you save money on your fuel bill, while also making a good choice for the environment.
The way we drive our cars can have a big impact on how much fuel we use. By making a few small changes to your driving and keeping your car well-tuned you can easily reduce your fuel bill by up to 20%.
Using 20% less fuel over five years is like saving an entire year's worth of fuel - which means savings for you and is good news for the planet. If we all cut our fuel use by 20%, New Zealand would save over 620 million litres of fuel each year - that's like taking 500,000 cars off our roads.
01 Drive smoothly
Accelerate smoothly. Change gear early, but don't labour the engine. If you drive an automatic, switch overdrive on as this will keep the engine speed down.
02 Watch your speed
Reducing your speed by 10 km/hr can knock around 10% off your fuel consumption.
03 Look ahead
Look ahead, maintaining a safe following distance and you'll keep at a more constant speed. This uses less fuel than constantly accelerating and breaking.
04 Care for your car
Keeping your tyres at the right pressure saves fuel, as does regularly getting your wheel alignment corrected. Keeping you engine well tuned helps inprove your fuel economy.
05 Keep your load down
It sounds obvious, but a heavier vehicle uses more fuel. Leave heavy items from the boot at home when you're not using them.
06 Reduce Drag
Take roofracks or luggage boxes off your car when you aren't using them.
07 Limit idling time
If you are going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds, switch off your engine.
08 Give biofuels a go
Sustainabily produced biofuels are an alternative to petrol and diesel that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by reducing air pollution. Find out where you can fill up on biofuels.
09 Looking for a new car?
Look out for the Fuel Economy Label on the right when buying a new car to see how you can make a choice that will save you both fuel and money.
For more information about how you can save money and energy at home, at work, and on the road visit www.energywise.govt.nz
