10 ways to cut the cost of motoring

It’s not cheap to run a car in the UK. A report from 2013 suggested Britain was the most costly place to keep a car on the road, with average bills exceeding £3,500 each year. Motorists have enjoyed some respite in the intervening years, with the average cost of a litre of unleaded dropping to around the £1 mark in January of 2016. However, unleaded is rising again, reaching 114p last month.

And fuel isn’t the only outlay: road tax, insurance, MOTs and repair bills all add up.

But there are a number of effective ways to cut the cost of driving.

Reducing your speed can have a big impact on your fuel bill; driving at 70mph can use 9% more fuel than travelling at 60mph, while cruising at 80mph can use up to a quarter more fuel than at 70mph. Sudden acceleration and hard braking can also waste a lot of fuel.

If you’re parked and waiting, turn off your engine. Restarting your car uses about 10 seconds worth of fuel – far less than you’ll use sitting there with your engine on. Equally, if you’ve stopped at a busy junction and the green light is more than a minute away, it’s worth turning your engine off while you wait.

Experts say we should change gear in a petrol car at around 2,500 revs; 2000 in a diesel. This is about 500 revs less than most drivers typically change gear at. It is believed that in future cars will be fitted with gear shift indicators, prompting motorists to change gear at the most efficient moment.

Paying less for your breakdown cover doesn’t mean getting poorer service. Policies from startrescue.co.uk are among the most competitive around. A 3-Star policy on a 5-year old car costs as little as £28.79 per annum.*

Check out PetrolPrices.com for the lowest petrol prices in your area. Opting for supermarket pumps instead of the petrol giants can save you a substantial sum on a full tank.

After the initial cost of conversion, this can save big in the long run. At time of writing, LPG costs about 50% less than unleaded.

Many drivers are unware that their local council runs MOT centres. These garages do not offer repairs, so they have no incentive to fail you. If you’ve suspected your usual garage has failed you unfairly with a view to making money off the repairs, opt for a council service.

Tyres that aren’t properly inflated mean your car has to use more fuel to get where it’s going. Maintaining correct tyre pressure won’t save you a fortune – but it will help over time. Driving on under-inflated tyres is also dangerous.

Using a car-pooling service like LiftShare.com can, say the firm, save an average £800 a year, with some saving as much as £2,000. For one-off trips, BlaBlaCar.com is a great way to cut the costs of travel – usually cheaper than going by train or coach, especially at short notice.

It can seem like a hassle to switch insurers, but shopping around for a better deal could net you hundreds. Comparison sites can do much of the leg work for you.

*Based on 3 star level of cover for a vehicle aged up to 5 years old. Cover includes nationwide recovery, home assistance, alternative transport, overnight accommodation and key assist. Last updated 08/11/2016.