Your tyres are the only contact that your car has with the ground, however the number of clearly under inflated tyres I see on a daily basis still astonishes me. Not only do under inflated tyres decrease MPG by causing more rolling resistance, they are down right dangerous. Mythbusters Research has shown that under inflated tyres can reduce MPG by up to 4%.

There really is no excuse for this lack approach to maintenance. 99% of petrol stations have the facilities to check and correct tyre pressures (when they are not out of order) so why not check them each time you fill up. Failing that, a tyre pressure gauge is only a few quid on ebay, a worthwhile investment.

From a Hypermilers perspective, tyre pressures are a big deal. Many of us choose to run slightly over inflated pressures but all withing the tyre manufactures guidelines. This decreases rolling resistance and tyre wall flex as well as improves MPG, however this is NOT at the expense of safety or uneven tyre wear.

Check out our Hypermiling videos page for the Mythbusters tyre pressure findings.

For those in the northern hemisphere, winter is well and truly starting to creep upon us. Freezing temperatures, snow, ice and fog will cause motoring mayhem for many, leaving MPG figures a fraction of what they have been in the summer months. No need to worry, all is not lost! By taking just a few steps you can make the most of the winter months and ensure you are not wasting fuel needlessly.

Maintenance
Maintenance is the key to keeping you car running, whatever the season.  However, winter driving is not only hard on your wallet – your car takes a hammering too. Ensure your cooling system is filled with the correct ratio of anti-freeze to water, you are using anti-freeze screen wash and that your tyres are all safe and legal.

Be prepared
Just in case you do end up waiting for the “very nice man” in his yellow truck, make sure you are ready to endure the winter weather without having to idle your car for 2 hours. Keep a warm jacket, gloves and hat in the boot. I would also recommend keeping a full can of di-icer, a shovel, a tow rope and a torch in the boot. These things are relatively cheap and could save your bacon.

Don’t rush
Accidents happen, and when the weather is against you, they happen much more often. Instead of  having to rush after being held up due to an accident or bad roads leave yourself some time to take these “issues” into account. Not only will you use less fuel, you’ll have a much calmer and enjoyable drive.

Cover up!
Looking down my street on an icy morning I see plumes of exhaust gases rising into the air as unprepared motorists blast their iced windscreens with the blower for 20minutes. Just by covering your windscreen and side windows, you can simply drive off after a brief unwrapping.

Use your garage (if you have one)
Before our garage was turned into a playroom, it was used as a secondary shed. Computer boxes, old bikes, lamps and old furniture made it impossible to park anything bigger than a hot wheels car inside it.  Securing your ride in the garage will keep your priced auto out of the cold will keep the elements at bay. Your engine and fluids will reach operating temperatures quicker thus using less fuel.

Parking
If you do have to leave your car outside try and park it into the sun. This will help defrost and windows, mirrors and door handles that would normally have you reaching for the de-icer.

Most of our Winter Hypermiling Tips are common sense but it still amazes me how many people are not prepared for the colder months. For further winter hypermiling tips see our Hypermiling Techniques page.

If you have any other tips then please feel free to leave a comment below.

Most people don’t take parking into consideration when thinking about fuel consumption. Many lazy motorists try to park in the most convenient place possible that will mean the shortest walk possible for their fat little legs. In reality, your choice of space can make a huge difference to your MPG and wallet.

Our ultimate tip for you “Hypermiler”s out there is to always ensure you either reverse in or “face out” when parking. Lengthy maneuvers while the engine is cold and thus using more fuel is a real killer for FE (fuel economy). Combining this with parking away from the busy crowed parking spaces means you can start up and drive off without running the gauntlet of mobility scooters and parents with runaway trollies

In the summer months (or days in the UK) try and park in a shady spot, it can make not using the air conditioning a lot easier! In the winter try and position your car to face into the sun on frosty mornings, this will reduce idling and time spent digging away at your frozen windscreen with a broken credit card.

Want more Hypermiling tips? Read our Hypermiling Techniques page for even more ways to saave fuel and money! Why not share this page with those on your facebook account or twitter, use the buttons below and share the love.

Cars are often seen as a status symbol, if you are successful: you have a nice car. Most of us strive to have the newest, shiniest and most expensive steed that they can afford, with many stretching themselves beyond their means. This is great for car manufacturers and dealerships, not so good for the environment and your bank balance.

Enter Bangernomics.

Bangernomics is the term used to describe running a car next to nothing. Its about taking a second hand car that would normally be fit for the scrap yard or dissection by the fire service in a training session and using it as your day to day runner.

Read on after the break for more on Bangernomics and how you can save £££

Environmental

The environmental benefits of bangernomics are substantial. New cars require huge amounts of energy to produce and the associated shipping and parts travel produces CO2 emissions by the tonne. Bangernomics requires no more energy to undertake than the drive to pick your second hand motor up from its beloved “previous owner”.

Cost

Lets not kid ourselves, it nice to be green but for many… money talks. Bangernomics can literally save you thousands of pounds. Just think… no more finance / loans, dealership services, depreciation and repair bills. That means more money in your pocket to either save or enjoy.

How do I start?

Lets start with the 3 basic principles of Bangernomics

1. Inspect your “banger to be” thoroughly. The aim is to buy a cheap car that will require very little or no repairs while in your possession. Maybe even drag your mechanic friend with you for another set of eyes.
2. Maintain you car correctly. Shoe string motoring requires you to look after your rust ride. It’ll also help with your MPG.
3. Know when its time to quit! There’s no point in buying a “banger” and spending a fortune putting a new engine, gearbox or expensive part if its just not cost effective. You may be attached to your shed but often its cheaper to move on and get another that doesn’t need a small fortune spending on it.

Bangernomics and Hypermiling

But what about Hypermiling in my banger I hear you ask. Well, I will be the first to acknowledge that your banger will most likely only return a fraction of the MPG that’s capable from most of the diesel superminis out there. However, its all relative: the car only cost a fraction of the new frugal supermini.

Hypermiling is about maximising your MPG by adapting your driving style, its not so much about the return but what improvements you can make over normal driving. Hypermiling might not ever be enough to help you return 60+ mpg, but together with bangernomics, its guaranteed to save you a fortune.

Get in touch!

We’d love to hear about your experiences with bangernomics, so leave a comment below or join our busy Hypermiling forum.

High concentration is the key to becoming a successful Hypermiler, I would even go as far to say that it requires more concentration to Hypermile effectively than to drive fast. Not only will lack of concentration keep you from getting the very most out of every drop of fuel, it puts both yourself and others at risk.

Being full focused and aware of road and traffic conditions is vital in ensuring you are Hypermiling correctly. Often it is other drivers that thwart the most epic of Hypermiling runs, so being aware of them ensures you can adjust your driving style accordingly and avoid them.

We suggest you:

• Turn off your mobile
• Turn off / down the radio or opt for a more relaxing station
• Ask your passengers to keep noise to a minimum
• Keep conversation with passengers to a minimum

These ideas may seem quite harsh but you will be surprised how quickly your Hypermiling efforts are effected when your mind is elsewhere. Its also a great way of keeping that annoying mother in law passenger quiet on those long drives.

Many moons ago, before the internet and maybe even before Friends reunited – finding the best price for your car insurance or buying a new car was a mission in itself. This unpleasant task required either a large scotch and the yellow pages or a family outing to your local dealerships, screaming children in tow.

The invention of the internet not only made it possible to tag embarrassing photos of your friends and family in compromising situations but it also opened the door to enabling consumers to take the worry and stress out of getting the most for your hard earned cash. Comparison websites have now taken the forefront of our consumer needs making superstars of small mammals and overweight opera singers in the process.

Even with access to countless quotes for anything from car to travel insurance it amazes me how many people I know that do not shop around and compare car insurance. To this day I am yet to stay with the same car insurance provider for more than one year as their renewal fees often equate to be a small fortune over the first years cover. The insurance companies simply hope that their customers are either too lazy or simply forget to get a better price elsewhere or haggle with “Alan” who strangely has an Indian accent.

Hypermiling alone is a great way to save on fuel but the other motoring costs such as your car insurance, purchasing and loans can make these savings look minimal. I’m not going to list the countless sites currently available but I urge you to shop about for all your purchases no matter what you need, it could save you a fortunes. Simples.

Drafting has been used in motor sport since it first began. The aerodynamic advantages of allowing the driver in front to cut you a path through the air is a commonly used technique used to aid over taking.

In the real world and on real roads, such a manouvour would be crash inducing lunacy, however using the vehicle in front to slice a path though the air is a great way of instantly increasing your MPG by reducing your vehicles aerodynamic drag.

By following the “2 second rule” drafting can be safe. Any closer than this is a risk to yourself and other road users. By counting from the vehicle in front from a given marker you can easily ensure you are the correct distance but please take into consideration the weather and traffic conditions and adjust your distance accordingly.

At safe distances you could achieve a 40% increase in efficiency depending on the vehicle, weather and road conditions.

This technique is often used by HVGs  at less than “safe distances”. Due to their brick like aerodynamic qualities, drafting can have a huge positive impact on their efficiency which equates for huge savings for hauliers already struggling with record fuel prices.

My personal experiences with drafting have shown astounding results, 93MPG over 15 miles is my current personal best while hugging the clean air from a HVG on the A1 north. Read more about my Hypermiling Drafting experience.

As with all hypermiling techniques, you should adopt the correct techniques to the road and traffic conditions – safety is paramount.

The shortest or quickest route might be the best when you are trying to Hypermile. Hypermiling is all about driving smoothly, when you are stuck in traffic or having to stop start about town you are NOT driving smoothly. Taking a less uninterrupted  and travelled route might take slightly longer but you may see a huge difference in MPG.

When travelling long distances we would recommend using some form of satellite navigation. Sat Nav units have plummeted in price over the years and one can be picked up for less than £50. There are even free sat nav applications for smart phones if you are lucky enough to understand how it works own one! Many of the more expensive units update over the airwaves and will re plan your route if the eye in the sky spots a jam.

If such technology scares you senseless then there are is a vast selection of on-line route planning websites. Google maps is a great example and the street view feature will allow you to become familiar with the route from a 1st person perspective.

Read more for some links to my favourite online route planners and also some suppliers of great value satellite navigation units.

Google maps: http://maps.google.co.uk

AA Route Planner: http://maps.google.co.uk

Ebuyer: http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Home-&-Leisure/cat/Sat-Nav—GPS

TomTom: http://www.tomtom.com/

We all know that time is money. Like many of our readers, I am short of both.

Many think that making up time by driving faster is a sure fire way of squeezing more into your day, unfortunately this is often a false economy.

The faster you travel, drag and resistance increase. By simply driving slower you can increase your MPG by upto 45%. Experts suggest that a decrease of only 10MPG in speed from 70 to 60MPH can use 20% less fuel, now just image the difference from well above the legal speed limit.

Governments are also taking note of this fact. Recently Spain reduced its motorway speed limits to help save it’s citizens from rising fuel prices.

To find out more about saving fuel then why not try our Hypermiling Techniques and see how much you can save.

Hypermiling and fuel saving tips have been bouncing around the media of late and this technique is one that’s not considered by most. Driving without brakes isn’t quite what you would think.

Every time you brake you effectively turn fuel into heat & brake dust, wasting the energy you have consumed to get your car up to speed in the first place.

DWB is simply adapting your driving style so you minimize the use of your anchors. In order to achieve this we would suggest you do the following:

• Keep a good distance away from the car in front of you
• Choose a route that has the minimum number of junctions and stops

When slowing down, if you opt to simply to reduce or release the accelerator you let engine braking do the work and use little or no fuel while doing so. If you can also maintain as much speed as “safely” possible you also reduce the amount of energy needed to get back up to speed.

This technique is at the heart of every Hypermiler and was also recently recommended on TopGear by the main man JC himself.

This is only a very small part of hypermiling, see our Hypermiling Techniques page for more ways to save money at the pumps. Can you afford not to?