Beat the bowser: How to spend less on petrol
June 17, 2020
Categories:
Written by Bessie Hassan.
Spend less on petrol!
No one likes to fork out for fuel, but as a driver, you’re not going to get far without it. After car insurance, rego and roadside assistance, petrol is one of the major costs that comes with car ownership. Fortunately, there are a handful of hacks out there to help you spend less on petrol.
Use a fuel app
On any given day you’ll see a big difference in petrol prices across servos, but who has the time to drive around hunting down the cheapest one? No one. Download a petrol app and let it do the hard yards for you! Apps like FuelCheck, GasBuddy and Petrol Spy will seek out the cheapest spot in town for you to fill up based on your location. They also update in real time, keeping you in the loop with any fluctuating fuel prices.
Carpool if possible
Friends are great, especially if they’re doing the driving! If you live along the same route to school, work or uni, try and hitch a ride with your mates when possible. Splitting a tank of fuel between three or four people is much kinder on the wallet than filling up solo. And who doesn’t love a communal pit stop at the Macca’s drive-through?
Be fuel-cycle savvy
Filling up was once thought to be cheaper on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, with fuel deliveries usually happening on a Thursday. But the fuel delivery cycle is less predictable now than years gone by.
To counter this, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched a petrol price cycles page to keep drivers in the loop with the rise and fall of petrol prices to help them decide for themselves when to fill up. It can be worth checking out the site before heading to the bowser to get the most bang for your buck when filling up.
Use your vouchers
Those deals and discounts on the back of your shopping docket might seem small, but they’re nothing to be sniffed at! We tend to bin our grocery shopping receipts pretty quickly, but try and get into the habit of holding on to them if you want to save on fuel – they can shave a few dollars off your tank each time you fill up and you’d be surprised how much this can save you in the long run.
Check your tyres
Keeping your tyres at the correct air pressure can improve your fuel usage by as much as 3.3% . If your tyres are deflated, this places unnecessary pressure on the engine to keep the car moving, meaning you’ll burn through more fuel in the process. Easing up on the pedal can also lower your fuel consumption by as much as 33%, especially on the freeway.
When it comes to saving on petrol, every dollar counts. Simple hacks like using a fuel app, monitoring petrol prices online and carpooling will all count towards cutting your overall spend. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference in the long run. Time to buckle up and get saving!
Byline author: Bessie Hassan
Bessie Hassan is money expert at Finder
.
