Driving a car is expensive. Tax, petrol and insurance can run into thousands of pounds every year before you even start thinking about car repairs and maintenance. If you cannot afford to trade in your car for a more fuel-efficient model, ten top tips to reduce motoring costs include:
1. Don´t use your car so much
It may sound obvious, but if you reduce your mileage, you will reduce costs. Try to combine short journeys or car-share with a work colleague if they live near you.
2. Find the cheapest petrol stations
You can now compare petrol prices on internet comparison sites to find the cheapest fuel in your area. The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest can be 15p per litre.
3. Loyalty points can work
Many supermarkets offer reward points on the forecourt, and customers can redeem them in-store (but not on petrol). If you live near a supermarket petrol station it is well worth taking advantage of loyalty points and vouchers when buying fuel.
4. Choose your garage carefully
The car servicing industry is said to be worth more than £8.35 billion a year, which works out at more than £300 a car. Only go to garages or workshops that have been recommended to you by family or friends and always ask for a free quote before any work is undertaken. If you local authority has an MOT test centre, use these as they have no incentive to charge for unnecessary work.
5. Keep your tyres in check
Check your car manual and make sure your tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure. If your car tyres are underinflated this can result in a significant rise in fuel consumption and reduce the tyre life by 30%.
6. Keep clutter out of your boot
Fuel consumption rises by an average of 2% for every extra 50kg of weight in the car. Any spare luggage, sports equipment or heavy items should be removed from your car and kept at home. Roof racks also increase wind resistance which in turn increases fuel usage.
7. Switch off the A/C
By switching off the air conditioning you will reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10%, so if it is not that warm outside, open a window or use the fan. Interestingly if you are travelling at more than 60mph with the window open you will also increase fuel consumption as the wind will drag on the vehicle.
8. Change the oil regularly
Clean oil reduces the wear and tear on moving engine parts which will help reduce fuel consumption. Change the oil in a petrol car once a year or every 7,500 miles. If you have a diesel car, change the oil every six months or every 3,000 miles.
9. Keep it smooth
It is a fact that acceleration and deceleration uses more fuel so try to slow down gradually and avoid heavy braking where possible. The faster you drive the more fuel you use so keep it smooth. According to the Department for Transport, driving at 70mph uses 15% more fuel than driving at 50mph.
10. Avoid rough roads
Driving over rough roads and tracks will increase fuel consumption by as much as 30%, and can also damage the car. If there is a smoother route, even if it takes slightly longer to arrive at your destination, use it.
Ideally suited to debts of less than £5k with some disposable income available. Learn how to consolidate your situation and reduce your monthly payments by learning to negotiate with your creditors directly.
Designed for debts of up to £15k where creditor pressure is becoming too much to handle and you may have failed to agree to an overall acceptable monthly payment with your creditors directly.
Minimum total Debt of £15k to qualify for an IVA. Typically you can write off up to 75% of your debts and repay the balance over 5 years. This is a formal arrangement and failure to maintain it can have serious implications
If you have been refused an IVA or simply do not have any disposable income to come to an arrangement with your creditors Bankruptcy may well be your best option but professional help and advice is strongly recommended before entering into any formal arrangements.