Drivers urged to do 1 thing when driving in summer to save on fuel
With the instructor’s wise advice, your car won’t use as much fuel this summer (stock image) (Image: Getty)
As fuel prices remain high, a driving instructor has shared his top tip on how to help you save money on fuel this summer and adopt a new habit while driving.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently told MPs that the 5p per liter fuel duty cut the Conservative government introduced in March 2022 will be extended until the rest of the year; This doesn’t negate the fact that fuel is still expensive.
The main reason for this is due to Iran’s restrictions on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz; This means that the average price of a liter of petrol and diesel in the UK was 26p and 44p more expensive respectively before the conflict began on 28 February.
Experts have previously warned road users that hard braking and sudden acceleration can backfire heavily for those who do not want to save money, causing the engine to work much harder and burning fuel much faster.
But some may have noticed that their cars use more fuel, whether gasoline or diesel, during the hot summer months, and for good reason.
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To help drivers save some money on fuel, a driving instructor has shared his top tip on how to reduce your fuel use during the hot summer months – and it’s easier than you think.
A driving instructor named Dave from Red Driving School shared on TikTok his top tip on how you can save fuel by avoiding using the air conditioner.
“If you’re considering using your air conditioner, you need to remember that it will actually use a little more fuel,” Dave explained.
Cars generally burn more fuel in the summer due to increased air conditioning use, higher aerodynamic drag when driving with the windows closed, as well as engine strain that can result from extreme heat.
So not running the air conditioning unit in your car means less work for the engine and the vehicle in general, leading to less fuel usage.
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However, since cars often get hot when sitting or driving in hot sunlight, Dave had a simple alternative to air conditioning that won’t cost you anything.
“So if you want to save fuel and money, open your windows,” he told viewers at the end of the clip.
However, some viewers continued to claim that opening the windows will cause drag in the car, which will lead to more fuel usage and this is the case if you are driving at higher speeds.
According to a 2004 study by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), it would be more beneficial to open your windows if you are driving at 45 miles per hour or lower.
However, if you are driving above this speed, the friction effect of having the windows open begins to make it more fuel efficient to close the windows to turn on the air conditioning.
