How to Reduce Your Car Running Costs

8 tips for reducing car running costs

Choose your fuel wisely

Avoid opting for premium fuel. Whilst premium fuels advertise benefits for a car’s performance, unless the vehicle actually is a performance vehicle, these are broadly negligible, but you’ll still end up paying more for the privilege.

Apps like the AA’s can help you to find the nearest cheap petrol stations, and you may benefit from supermarkets or fuel retailers’ loyalty cards, which can help you save money on fuel over time. Be sure to make use of technology and other savvy tricks like these in order to reduce car running costs.

Keep your car properly maintained

Getting your car serviced is an outgoing cost. But doing so will actually reduce overall car running costs, as you’re ensuring that the vehicle is kept at optimum efficiency.

It’s far better to send your car in for a regular service, which might set you back a relatively small amount, compared to having a major malfunction which incurs a significant expense.

Check tyre pressure

Keeping on top of your vehicle’s tyre pressure is one of the best ways to reduce the car’s running costs. Tyres that are underinflated will tend to use more fuel as a result of greater drag, which can leave you with higher costs over time.

Check your vehicle’s tyre pressure every fortnight. You can typically find the correct figures for your car on the inside of the driver’s door, but consult the handbook if you’re in doubt.

Drive carefully

There are many good driving habits that can help to reduce car running costs.

When the car is cold, drive gently, as this is when they’re less efficient. Accelerate gently too, and aim to drive at a steady speed. If you see red lights or a queue, ease off the accelerator. Keep your engine revs down – revving causes the engine to spin faster, which consumes more fuel.

You can also follow other good habits like keeping the windows up for minimal drag. Remove any excess weight in your vehicle’s boot, or any roof racks for the same reason. If you can go without aircon, then do so, as AC drains fuel. You can also avoid wearing heavy or thick shoes to drive, as these are less sensitive to small changes in the clutch and accelerator.

Learn what hypermiling is and practice it, as this will help you to maximise your vehicle’s MPG (miles per gallon).

Know your car finance caps

Certain kinds of car finance can have usage and mileage caps for vehicles. Be sure that you stick to these, otherwise you may end up overspending on surcharges.

Choose insurance wisely

Car insurance can be expensive. Shop around and haggle before settling on a policy or premium.

Consider getting a black box, which will reward careful drivers, or add a more experienced driver onto the policy to push costs down. You could also choose a car that typically resides in a lower insurance group in order to secure a cheaper premium. Remember that sophisticated trims (special equipment or features) add to a vehicle’s overall cost and will, therefore, impact any payout.

Be sensible about parking

Use apps to search around for cheaper parking, and always adhere to local guidelines so that you don’t incur a penalty.

Park your vehicle away from others, too. That way, you minimize any risk of damage, which might impact its resale value or result in expensive repair fees.

Ensure you’re on the best possible car finance deal

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, then finding the best possible car finance is a sure-fire way to make the purchase more financially manageable. With car finance, you’ll pay a series of pre-agreed monthly instalments, making the process of owning and using a vehicle more accessible.

Take care to do your research and you should be able to make your monthly repayments more affordable.

Cut your costs with affordable car finance

There are many different types of car finance to suit your needs and requirements, and even ways of securing car finance with poor credit.

If you’re looking to drive down car running costs, be sure to contact My Car Credit today. We’ll provide you with a no-obligation quote and help you find an affordable deal.