morning to full fuel tanks but the prospect of
paying much more for the next tank. At
midnight the price of fuel increased by R1.21 for
petrol and R1.48 for diesel. That brings the fuel price to just under R20 per litre.
MasterDrive shares 10 tips to remind South
African drivers about reducing fuel consumption as they face these higher petrol prices:
Ensure your vehicle’s maintenance is up-to-date.
Not replacing certain parts in your car can
considerably affect fuel consumption
Maintaining an adequate following distance and
watching 12 seconds ahead helps save fuel as
you have more time to react to traffic. You can
then slow down and potentially avoid coming to a complete stop.
- Keeping your revs between 2,500 rpm and 3,500 rpm can reduce your petrol consumption by up to 20%. In diesel vehicles, the rpm can be as low as 2,000.
Something else that can contribute to a 20%
reduction is keeping your speed low.
Travelling at a reduced speed, where possible,
has shown to also play a role in reducing fuel consumption.
Avoid costly behaviours behind the wheel such as driving aggressively.
Using your aircon judiciously and making sure
that open windows do not add to increased wind resistance will also help.
Plan your routes. Plenty of petrol can be wasted by not making your route as efficient as possible.
Avoid driving with unnecessary items in your
car that add to the weight of the vehicle.
Avoid idling for longer than 30 seconds.
Ensure tyres are properly inflated. Under-
inflated tyres increase fuel consumption.