Top 5 Tips for Van Fuel Economy
As we experience a cost of living crisis, we’re seeing energy bills, fuel costs and essential items rising faster than our incomes, so it’s important to save money everywhere we can. Although this is a sad reality, there are ways to reduce costs while still being able to enjoy ourselves.
The price of petrol has risen and you may be looking for cheap-to-run vans or even considering switching to electric vans. Whether your business manages a fleet of vans or you just drive one, reducing your fuel consumption can save you a lot of money.
Here’s how:
Maintain and service your vehicle
If you’re not maintaining your van, you will be losing money on fuel because it is not driving as efficiently as it could be. You need to get your van serviced at least once a year to check everything is in good working order. Things such as tyre pressure can massively impact your fuel economy. You can check your tyre pressure yourself, especially before long journeys and times that you carry more passengers or heavy equipment.
Highest gear possible within the speed limit
The best way to achieve the highest mpg is by driving in the highest possible gear. This means when driving at slower speeds you should change up gears as soon as possible to avoid high revs. This is because the faster an engine spins the more fuel it uses. You should also aim to avoid accelerating unnecessarily as this will lead to high fuel consumption.
Make use of cruise control
Maintaining an average speed on a flat surface is a great way to save fuel. Rather than constantly braking and accelerating, try to use your cruise control on long stretches of road so that you can save some money.
Reduce drag effect
You may not realise it but there are many items on your car that can lower your mpg. Things such as roof bars can add 16% drag when driving at 75mpg and 39% drag with a roof box! Even things such as flags or putting your window down can cause a drag effect meaning your car has to work harder to maintain a higher speed. Take off any unnecessary items to have good fuel efficiency.
Reduce your AC and heating use
Your AC and heating both use fuel to function. This means you may be using way more than you need to just because you like to keep your AC on even when it’s not needed. While it can be hard in the height of summer or winter, between these times, try to limit your use to only when it’s necessary.
Looking for cheap-to-run vans? The team at Van Sales UK are here to help you find your dream van. You may want to swap to an electric van or find other great van deals, if so give us a call on 0117 205 2630.
