7 fuel-saving tips that actually work in Singapore

SINGAPORE – Fuel prices have reached all-time highs here, and so reducing your car’s fuel consumption is now more important than ever.

The easiest way to do this is through technology – getting a hybrid car, or an electric car. Of course, that may not be an option given COE prices have just gone through the roof.

Luckily, that’s not actually hard to do – just follow our seven tips listed below, and you should see an immediate reduction in fuel consumption. Do you drive an electric car? Most of these tips are just as relevant, too.

1) Keep your car in good shape with regular servicing

Clogged filters, fouled plugs, misaligned wheels, old fluids… they all mess up fuel consumption. They’re all picked up and sorted during regular servicing.

Cars are generally very reliable things, but if they’re not running at their best, then your car might be consuming more fuel than is necessary. The easiest way to do this is buy a maintenance package with your dealer and just bring ‘er in regularly.

2) Keep it stock

Modern cars are designed with meticulous care, especially with regards to aerodynamics, so slapping on a huge wing and other ‘aero’ bits might look cool, but they may actually increase drag and fuel consumption unless you happen to have a wind-tunnel to test those parts out.

Same goes with tyres: Slapping on huge wheels and wide tyres increases fuel consumption too, which is why fuel efficiency testing for cars is done on a range of tyre sizes now.

3) Tyres are a crucial part of it

Speaking of those round, black things, always keep them properly inflated (check every other time you stop for fuel, at least). Flat tyres create extra rolling resistance (and increase fuel burn), wear out faster and offer lousy grip.

Pro tip: Tyre information is usually located on a sticker in the driver’s door frame or fuel-filler door.

You can also look for green or eco tyres, which are designed to reduce fuel consumption – Bridgestone’s Ecopia and Yokohama’s BluEarth tyre ranges are a good example.

4) Look into the future…

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead. And this is easier than ever with traffic prediction and internet-enabled navigation on our smartphones – for example, many smart assistant services (like Google’s Assistant) can learn your daily routine and tell you if there’s a traffic snarl on your regular route.

Avoiding jams and choosing the smoothest route will not only save you time, but also fuel.

5) …then look into the future some more!

Behind the wheel, cultivate a sense of anticipation. If you train yourself to look much further ahead than usual, you can build up a mental map of what’s going on with the car around you and what’s about to happen.

For example, if you’re approaching a red light there’s no need to continue accelerating or even applying the gas.

6) Keep it spaced out and steady

Try keeping a much larger distance between yourself and the car in front of you than you’re used to. You’ll be surprised how much the extra buffer space will let you keep going at a smooth pace while the car ahead speeds up and slows down with the rest of traffic.

It gives you a better view ahead, too, which helps with anticipation.

You don’t have to drive like a granny. Accelerate smartly to cruising speeds if you want, but the main goal is to hit a steady speed and then use the throttle sparingly to keep gliding along. It’s easier with enough of a buffer between your car and the one in front, so remember the two-second rule and use it.

7) Engage eco mode

Many cars now come with an eco or efficient drive mode. These reduce the amount of acceleration and optimise the car’s systems – such as the air conditioning or gearbox – to help save fuel.

If you’re not good at driving efficiently, they certainly can help. And if you are, the drive modes will help you go even further on less energy.

Bonus tip: Clear out your car!

Another way of improving efficiency is to reduce weight, and we don’t mean you need to superleggera everything. A far less glamorous but more practical way of doing this is to simply leave stuff at home, or at least out of the car.

Do you really need to carry around your car cleaning supplies? Maybe let go of that NS-induced PTSD and leave that jerrycan of water at home.

Another way of reducing weight is by taking out your spare tyre and replacing it with an inflation kit. Less weight = going further on less fuel.

ALSO READ: In search of fuel efficiency? Why not give these diesel-powered rides a chance

This article was first published in CarBuyer.