Foxy Lady
Drivers Club
Top Ten Money-saving Motoring Tips
The less fuel our cars use the less CO2 they emit and the less money we spend on fuel. Luckily it is easy to reduce CO2 emissions by adopting simple driving techniques and you’ll quickly see your reward in terms of lower fuel bills!
1. Plan routes in advance. Try to avoid known traffic hotspots at times of the day when you’re likely to sit in a queue. Check that your satnav is taking you the shortest way – the quickest route is often a lot longer.
2. Watch your speed. Travelling at between 50 and 60mph means your emissions will be lowest, whilst motoring over 70mph can increase them by as much as 25%. Surprisingly perhaps, driving at less than 15mph creates the most pollution.
3. Make efficient use of your car’s engine. Why not combine several short journeys into one? Always drive off as soon as you switch the engine on, switch it off in traffic queues and as soon as you reach your destination.
4. Drive smoothly. Over-revving, energetic braking and harsh acceleration will all drink up fuel. Always use the correct gears to avoid straining the engine.
5. Remove any extra weight. Removing unnecessary clutter can improve fuel consumption by up to 2%. Take off an unused roof rack, for example, and you could save a further 2%.
6. Turn off air conditioning. Your air conditioning system can reduce fuel efficiency by a massive 8%.
A happy car needs to be maintained and serviced on a regular basis.
7. Check the condition of your tyres. Get into the habit of looking at your tyres every time you approach the car. Just a glance is likely to identify a flat tyre and, if you don’t drive on the tyre, it is more likely to be repairable. Also, you are more likely to spot kerb damage, bulges or under-inflation before they become a danger. If you do detect any damage, drive the car slowly to a repairer straight away. Once a month, at least, you should check that your tyres are correctly inflated because you can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 3%. Over or under inflated, they could fail when you need them most, can wear out quickly and will then need replacing sooner than they would otherwise.
Not only are tyres VERY expensive, far too many end up in landfill which is a bad thing for the environment.
FOXY tyre fitting tip: The majority of modern cars are driven by the front wheels and, as most of the braking effort is supplied by the front tyres, they wear out much more quickly than the rear tyres. In fact, rear tyres wear so slowly that it is common for them to be scrapped because of sidewall deterioration rather than tread wear, which is an avoidable waste. When your front tyres need replacing, ask the fitter to move the rear wheels to the front and put the new tyres on the rear. That way, you will always use all the tread you buy.
8. Check and top up your oil level regularly. Too much oil is bad and too little means serious damage ahead; parts will start to fail, your car will let you down more often and bills will start to escalate… If you top up your oil yourself, always check the car’s handbook/manual and use the right grade for your car; many need specialist oils for good reason. Make sure the car is parked on level ground and with the handbrake firmly applied. Wait for five minutes after the engine has been run to allow the oil to drop back into the sump; otherwise, there would be a danger of overfilling. Top up a little at a time and allow a few minutes before checking the level on the dipstick for the same reason. When replacing the dipstick, give it a firm push to make sure it is correctly located in the tube. Keep receipts as evidence of doing the job properly. Your oil and the oil filter (which traps any damaging debris) should be changed regularly; see your car’s handbook, typically once a year as a minimum but twice a year is recommended.
FOXY oil disposal tip: Always dispose of engine oil correctly. Your local amenity tip will offer the facility free of charge to domestic users. The waste oil is processed and used as fuel for power stations and blast furnaces among other things. On no account should this oil be poured into the drainage system or any hole in the ground.
9. Get your maintenance checked by the professionals on a regular basis. To be sure that your car is safe, kind to the planet, reliable and cheaper to run FOXY recommends you ask a garage professional to check that you (or whoever might do this for you) has done the job well enough and not missed any safety issues. Some garages advertise free safety checks but you need to be confident that their ‘free’ offer does not then become a hefty bill! FOXY membership comes with a package of free quarterly seasonal Car Fitness Checks which are carried out by FOXY approved female friendly garages. These checks include your tyres, oil, coolant, lights, emissions and seasonal items like your battery, antifreeze and air conditioning system.
10. Do your local garage homework in advance. Always look for evidence of quality not just a friendly receptionist or a convenient location. To find out more about this important safety issue, read FOXY’s Garage Services Guide at female friendly garage services website FOXY Choice.
A further reassurance for women drivers is that all FOXY garage partners have signed the female friendly FOXY Promise which reassures women drivers that they will ‘never knowingly overcharge, patronise or sell women services they do not need or want’.
FOXY Lady Drivers Club | 35 Goring Road | Steyning BN44 3GF
Tel: 01903 879988 | Email: info@foxyladydrivers.com
Highly Commended, Brake’s Road Safety in the Community Award, 2009
Winner, Home Business Awards, 2008
Regional Finalist, HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards, 2007
Runner Up, The Daily Telegraph’s Trailblazers’ Business Awards, 2006
Small Business Award Winner, SAGA Magazine, 2005
See above for correspondence address. FOXY Drivers Limited, trading as FOXY Choice and FOXY Lady Drivers Club, is registered in England & Wales No 5071266 and registered for VAT, number 841 3841 35.
