Forget the jerry can – pump up your tyres and wind that window up

Responding to Francis Maude’s ‘jerry can’ recommendation, Kwik Fit shares that motorists may do well to consider other, simple means of saving fuel. According to the fast fit network, British motorists are, for example, wasting almost £1 billion a year on excess fuel through the totally avoidable practice of driving on under-inflated tyres; a Kwik Fit survey of more than 2,700 tyres across the UK showed 69 per cent to be at least 3psi under the manufacturer’s recommendation. So visit your nearest garage and check those tyres.

And that’s not all. Research carried out by ICM amongst a nationally representative sample of just over 2,000 UK adults showed that, in warm weather, some 9.7 million drivers nationwide commit the fuel consumption blunder of turning off their vehicle’s air conditioning and opening a window instead; this is, Kwik Fit comments, a false economy – the drag created by the open window can significantly affect a car’s aerodynamics and therefore fuel consumption. In warm weather, an open window may be a better option for fuel saving motorists in stop-start traffic, but once moving freely, Kwik Fit advises drivers to turn on the air conditioner. Drawing on an analysis of Department for Transport, Road Traffic and Speeds statistics, Kwik Fit shares that with just an average five per cent drop in fuel efficiency, on a single warm day, drivers opting for a ‘windows down’ approach could increase the nation’s fuel bill by over £650,000.

“Rather than panic-buying excess fuel, motorists could consider finding ways to improve their fuel efficiency,” commented Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit. “This can be achieved by making relatively simple adjustments motorists can drive further on one tank and shouldn’t really need to store extra fuel in jerry cans.

“Soaring fuel prices have already increased the pressure on motorists to squeeze every last mile out of their tank but the threat of shortages has upped the ante even further,” Griggs added. “But there are several measures motorists can take to make what fuel they’ve got last longer such as checking tyre pressures and using the air conditioning at speeds over 40 mph.  Motorists should also consider using fuel additives such as BG44K, which can improve fuel economy.”

“With research showing that many petrol station tyre gauges are inaccurate, motorists may well feel safer coming to Kwik Fit where their tyre pressure can be checked for free using calibrated pressure gauges by a tyre expert,” the communications director continued. “Car owners should make sure their air con system is working effectively, and like other parts of the car, this means giving it a regular service to get the best from it. Gas naturally leaks from the system and they need to be re-charged every two years.”