Oil is more expensive than ever. And at R7.47 per litre, petrol is starting to feel way more expensive than a mere arm and a leg! Don’t despair, follow as many of these fuel saving tips as you can. I guarantee you’ll be shocked by the results.

  • Buy a fuel efficient car. This is the most important and effective of all the tips. Driving a gargantuan car or SUV implies that you are either ignorant, in denial or don’t give a damn about anyone, including your kids and grandkids who will still be living in the mess you’ve created when you are long gone. Consider buying a diesel car as they are usually very economical. And do not trust your husband or car salesman’s consumption figures. Rather buy a respected motoring magazine and do a comparison yourself.

  • Buy a scooter. They’re cheap, great fun to ride and laughably frugal.

  • Avoid heavy acceleration. This is the most important driving tip. Accelerate slowly using the least possible throttle at any time. Gear up as quickly as possible. If conditions allow it, say when you are going downhill, consider skipping a gear, but don’t labour the engine.

  • Anticipation and momentum. Try and anticipate what the traffic will do. If you can avoid stopping and slowing down too much at robots and in traffic there is no need to pull away off the mark again. Don’t lift the accelerator when going downhill. You will pick up speed and have added momentum for climbing the next hill.

  • Keep your distance. Give yourself ample time to brake evenly by leaving at least two seconds between yourself and the car you are following.

  • Slow down and keep a constant speed. Fuel consumption increases spectacularly as you speed up. Driving just eight km/h over the speed limit can add 23 percent to your consumption and travelling at 90 km/h gives you up to 21 percent better mileage compared to 110 km/h.

  • Use the economy setting if you drive a car with automatic transmission.

  • Use your handbrake on hills. Riding the clutch (or using the accelerator in an automatic) on an incline gulps fuel.

  • Turn the engine off when you are in a queue.

  • Park in the first spot you find. Hunting for a better one costs more than you think.

  • Use the appropriate fuel and oil for your vehicle.

  • Maintain correct tyre pressure.

  • Wheel alignment. If your car pulls to one side it uses more fuel.

  • Regularly tune and service your vehicle.

  • Do not fit big tyres and flashy mags. They increase resistance and therefore fuel consumption.

  • Fit radial-ply tyres. They decrease resistance and can improve efficiency by about five percent. Don't mix radial-ply and cross-ply tyres on the same axle and if you are only fitting two radials, they must go on the rear wheels.

  • Use the air conditioner only when necessary. Where possible use the fan instead. Park in the shade when you can. This keeps your car cool and saves on air conditioning.

  • Avoid using electrical components when they are not necessary. These components will cause the alternator to work harder, causing the engine to use more fuel.

  • Close the windows. An open window, especially at high speeds, increases fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.

  • Don’t use your car for storage. Fuel efficiency can drop by one to two percent with every 45kg you carry. So clear your boot and back seat of unnecessarily items.

  • Remove the roof rack if you’re not using it. It will impede your aerodynamics thus reducing your fuel economy by as much as five percent.

  • Plan your trips. Reduce driving distance by combining all your short trips and errands into a single journey. Fuel consumption can increase by as much as 400 percent on each cold start when compared to starting when the engine is warm. So by cutting down on unnecessary short trips you will be making a substantial saving. Experiment with various routes and various departure times to see where you can save.

  • Start the car and immediately and gently drive away. Car engines do not need to warm up before you drive.

  • Avoid rush hour when possible.

  • Establish a lift club.

  • Refuelling. Use a logbook to record your fuel purchases and kilometres travelled in order to set new economic goals and to spot radical differences in the performance of your vehicle due to mechanical malfunction. Never overfill your car. If you have done so, don't park in the sun or on a gradient with the filter facing downhill. Don't fill your car until it is nearly empty as you will be carrying a lighter load as the tank empties out. Petrol and diesel shrink quite markedly when chilled and since garages dispense fuel by volume it is better to fill up on cold days and if you can, drive on the hot ones.

  • Check that your fuel cap seal is airtight. Every time you open the cap, petrol evaporates rapidly.

  • You should never smell petrol. If you do, you probably have a leak.

  • Running on fumes? When you’re about to run out of petrol and every drop counts you can halve your consumption by accelerating slowly, using only the first fifth of the throttle movement. When you reach about 70km/h shift to neutral and coast to about 25km/h. Repeat the cycle.