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Tips To Get Your Employees To Use Less Fuel (And Save Money)

21 August 2017

Use Google Maps to avoid routes with tonnes of traffic.

Traffic jams cause constant braking and accelerating in first and second gear. Constant braking and accelerating in first and second gear causes the car to eat more fuel. Avoid using more fuel by avoiding traffic jams. Simple.

The best way to do this is to check Google’s super-smart maps before you set off so that you can take the slightly longer but more fuel efficient route.

Don’t carry around more stuff than you need to.

Another thing that uses way more fuel than you need to is loading the boot full of stuff that you don’t need to be carrying around. Sure, you need to make sure you’ve got your spare tire, a tyre pump, maybe a first aid kit and a coat in case you break down, but think carefully about anything else you put in there.

If you remove just 45kg from your car, you’ll use around 1% less fuel. It doesn’t sound much, but it’ll certainly add up.

Drive at the optimum speed.

This comes back to this whole braking and accelerating thing. Go steady. Use cruise control if you have it. And if you’re driving on a motorway, aim to stick between 55 mph and 65 mph; the Energy Saving Trust says that any faster than 65 mph will cause a significant drop in your fuel efficiency.

Don’t overtake unless you have to.

Unnecessary overtaking often results in your really having to put your foot down. Only overtake if you’re genuinely going way faster than the car in front. If the car in front is going marginally slower than you, you’re much better just, you know, slowing down a little bit.

Change gear at the right rev count.

Changing gear at the wrong time can seriously affect your fuel efficiency. And what do we mean by the right time? Somewhere around 2,000 rpm for diesel cars and 2,500 rpm for petrol. That’s easy enough if you have a rev counter, but a little more difficult if you don’t. Listen to your car. You’ll know when the gears need changing.

And if, as a fleet manager, you’re serious about reducing fuel consumption, make sure all your cars have a rev counter in.

Shut those windows when you’re going fast.

When you’re pootling along nice and slowly, air con is actually pretty bad for fuel consumption. When you’re going fast, however, having the windows open creates drag. This means that the car has to work harder resulting in more fuel usage. When you’re on faster roads opt for air con as opposed to feeling the wind in your hair.

Know the right oil for your car.

If you’re putting the wrong oil in your car, you’re forcing it to use more fuel than it needs to. A simple Google search will help you find which oil you should be using, but if you’re unsure, always opt for an energy conserving oil. These contain friction-free additives which will help you car to reduce fuel consumption.

Don’t drive around with deflated tyres.

Making sure your tyres are inflating to the correct pressure can actually decrease fuel consumption by 3.3%. Most cars have a little sticker on the door that tells you the ideal pressure for each tyre. Don’t ignore it.

Get your cars serviced regularly.

Finally, one of the best ways to reduce fuel usage is to get your fleet serviced regularly. Keeping your vehicles in tip-top condition will reduce fuel consumption as well as making sure your cars last a whole lot longer.

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