Dubai: Gone are the days when the majority of UAE residents seemed oblivious of their fuel consumption due to the relatively cheap petrol price in the UAE. The shift is due to the recent petrol price increase that will affect everyone’s monthly budget.
The Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday that under the new prices effective August 1, there is a 24 per cent rise in petrol price of Octane 95 (Special), now at Dh2.14 per litre, and Octane 98 (Super) petrol has gone up by 23 per cent to Dh2.25 per litre. Diesel prices have been reduced from Dh2.90 to Dh2.05 per litre by 85 fils per litre.
This means a resident who pays Dh65 for a full tank for a saloon car using Octane 95 (Special), now needs to pay an extra Dh15 per tank after August 1, or Dh112 more for a month’s worth of petrol.
Experts believe residents can tweak their driving habits to maximise their petrol consumption.
“You only need to make small changes in your driving habits and they will go a long way in helping you save on petrol,” Rizwan Ali, workshop manager of Salim Ali Bin Haider Garage, told Gulf News.
1) Accelerate and decelerate smoothly
When the signal turns green, drivers commonly rev up their engines to rapidly accelerate. While drivers want to leave the signal quickly, it won’t hurt to drive sensibly by not stepping too hard on the accelerator. Aggressive driving such as rapid acceleration, speeding, and braking burns more fuel. According to the US Department of Energy, aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 33 per cent at highway speeds and by 5 per cent for city driving.
The same goes for stepping on the brakes when approaching a signal. Release the accelerator and allow the car to coast until you reach the point when you have to step on the brakes.
2) Maintain a constant speed whenever possible
“Your RPM (revolutions per minute) should not go up 2,500. The faster the engine spins, the more fuel it consumes,” Sergey Korogodin, General Manager of ZNZ Garage who has been working with cars for 15 years, told Gulf News.
Using cruise control on paved highways with less obstructions also saves on fuel.
3) More weight equals more fuel consumption
Big cars with big engines automatically mean burning more fuel. Switching to lighter vehicles will reflect positively on your monthly petrol bills.
4) Stick to your vehicle’s load capacity
Avoid overloading your car as this will overburden not only the engine but also your wallet. “For example, you can’t have five overweight men board a regular small-sized car because it will double the weight of the entire car which can increase fuel consumption by 40 per cent,” Korogodin said.
4) Remove excess weight
Just like the point above, any additional unnecessary weight on the car increases pressure on the engines. Clear your trunk of any heavy stuff because an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce MPG (miles per gallon) by up to two per cent, according to the US Department of Energy.
5) Smaller engines with bigger tyres equal higher fuel wastage
Upsized wheels on small engines force the engine to work doubly harder and increases fuel wastage. Make sure your tyre size is appropriate to the size of your engine.
6) Turn the AC off during winter, or lower the temperature whenever possible
“Keep your AC locked on the lowest settings of either 1 or 2 and not at the maximum as it burns more fuel,” Ali said. AC use can reduce a conventional vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 25 per cent, according to the US Department of Energy.
7) Reduce wind resistance
“Ensure that all the windows are closed when driving at highway speeds so it won’t work up your engine too much,” Ali said. Driving with windows open increases aerodynamic drag, which makes it more difficult for the car to push through the air.
8) Switch the engine off rather than keep it idle
“When you’re in a long queue, shift to neutral gear [or switch off the engine]. That could save many litres if done consistently,” Ali said. Keep away from drive-throughs. There’s no harm parking the car and getting the food yourself. You burn less petrol and burn more calories. Leaving your car idle for one hour could use up to 1.5 litres of petrol, depending on engine size and AC use.
9) Proper tyre pressure and alignment
Ali said ensuring that your tyres are properly inflated increases fuel economy. “Whenever the engine has to use up more power, it consumes more fuel. Improperly aligned or improperly inflated tyres could increase pressure on the engine, hence burn more fuel.”
10) Plan your trips
Driving to the grocery just a block away is a no-no when the weather permits. Always make sure to plan your trips ahead of time to maximise fuel mileage.
