Weather warnings have been extended across the UK after records low temperatures rock the country. Braemer, in Aberdeenshire, was the coldest place in the UK on Tuesday night, recording a low of minus 17.3C. With all the cold weather comes poor fuel consumption for motorists already struggling with record energy prices.

With this in mind, we’re on hand to make sure you’re making the very most of every drop of fuel. Here are our top 5 Winter fuel saving / hypermiling tips for 2022

Cover up

Avoid costly idling and window scraping by covering your windscreen and side windows with cover. This will save you fuel and time, reducing the need to wasteful idling to defrost windows and scraping. Windscreen covers are widely available from Amazon and other retail stores

Face out

Let the sun do the hard work of defrosting both the inside and outside of your car. If possible park so your car is facing the winter sun. You’ll spend less time scraping frozen windows and might even help raise the temperature in your car.

Let your engine warm up

Rather than crank the blowers and temperature up to the max, leave them off. Rather than heat the inside of your car, the warmth will be redirected into the engine, helping it warm up faster. An engine will run much more efficiently at operating temperature, so let it get up to temperature before you do. If you’re lucky enough to have heated seats, these are a great alternative until the engine reaches temperature.

Plan your route

If you commute to work then make sure you check the traffic conditions before you set out. This will help you avoid and heavy traffic or congestion. Not only will this help speed up your commute you’ll not be wasting fuel stuck in start-stop traffic or worse. Google maps shows live traffic for a set route, so tag your work on your google account and check the route easily before you leave. 

Be prepared

Just in case you get stranded make sure you keep a warm jacket, gloves and hat in the boot. We would also recommend  a phone charger, can of de-icer, a shovel, a tow rope and a torch. These items can be picked up for peanuts on ebay and amazon and could be vital for your or even another motorist at the mercy of the winter months. The AA offers a winter car kit offering many of the essential items you many need.

Let’s hear from you

Have you got some winter fuel saving tips you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.