Some have abandoned their cars altogether and opted to walk or cycle. Others are reducing their fuel bill by traveling in lift clubs. Either way commuters are forced to review their traveling options with the price of petrol skyrocketing. The way you drive and the condition of your car has an impact on the amount of petrol you use. You can save up to 30% of your fuel bill by implementing a few simple driving techniques. Simply keeping your car washed and waxed improves aerodynamics and therefore fuel economy.

Plan your trips in such a way that you accomplish more errands on a single trip in order to save both time and fuel. Short trips don’t allow the engine to warm up and run at its optimum operating temperature and can use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip. The longer trip may also mean that the total distance you travel is shorter. Also avoid peak-hour traffic whenever possible as your car may be switched on for over an hour for a distance you could cover on ten minutes.

A properly tuned up motor helps in improving fuel efficiency and performance. Ensure that your vehicle is being serviced by a reputable mechanic. Using the recommended grade of motor oil will give you optimum fuel economy thus saving you money. Dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels contribute to high fuel bills. Don't fill your tank to the brim when buying petrol. The excess fuel is likely to spill out due to natural expansion.

Looking after your tyres will not only reduce your fuel consumption it will also extend tyre life and improve handling. Make sure your wheels are properly aligned. Check the tyre pressure when your vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours or when it has been driven for less than two kilometres. Warm tires give an inaccurate reading because heat build up increases tyre pressure during use. Underinflated tyres require more energy to roll, wear faster, waste fuel and are unsafe. A single under-inflated tyre reduces its mileage by thousands of kilometres and increases fuel consumption by up to five percent. Keep your tires inflated to the pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer.

Travel light! The more a vehicle carries, the more energy is needed to move it, the harder the engine works to produce this energy, the more fuel it uses. Even an empty roof rack can increase fuel consumption due to the drag created. A full roof rack increases fuel consumption because of the drag and the excess weight. If the roof rack is not permanently fixed to your vehicle remove it when it's not needed. Empty out your trunk and the backseat of your car of all unnecessary items.

You are wasting fuel and money by idling your car for more than half a minute. It is more efficient to turn the engine off while you wait and then restart the car as you will save more fuel than is lost from the burst of fuel involved in restarting the engine. The net increased wear and tear from this practice is negligible.

Avoid "flooring" your accelerator pedal from a dead stop. You'll consume about 50 percent more fuel during a rapid start than if you pull away gradually. Don't drive aggressively even when you are in a rush. Quick acceleration, and excessive speed result in higher fuel consumption. Stick to the speed limit. Driving 100 km/h rather than 120 km/h will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.

Give yourself extra time to reach your destination and travel with the flow of traffic. It's also far safer to keep to a distance of 2 seconds between yourself and the car in front of you. Failing to do so usually ends up in unnecessary acceleration and frequent braking that results in wasting fuel. Keeping the safe distance allows us to anticipate and apply slow and steady acceleration. This simple technique can save you up to 20% on your fuel bill for the trip.

Maintaining a constant speed if you are traveling over a long distance is another fuel saving habit. The Cruise Control feature on your car allows you to maintain a good pace but is only effective in increasing fuel efficiency if you are driving on roads that are mostly flat. Using the cruise control in hilly areas may use more fuel than if you are controlling the accelerator yourself.

Improve your fuel economy by driving in the highest gear possible when you are cruising at a steady speed. The engine runs most efficiently between around 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. To maintain these low revs you should change up through the gears as soon as practical and before the revs reach 2500 rpm. Lower gears are needed to get the car moving from standstill and for overtaking purposes. They generate more power and as a result use up more fuel than higher gears.

Do not drive an Automatic in “sports” mode as it is designed to keep the gears low for as long as possible to throw out more speed thus increasing fuel consumption. Slightly releasing the accelerator as the car gathers momentum will aid an Automatic transmission in shifting up quicker and more smoothly.

Use your air conditioner sparingly. Running the air conditioner exerts an extra load on the engine forcing about 10% to 15% more fuel to be used. So, if you are driving slowly, such as around town or in city traffic then you are better off leaving your windows open or using your car's air vents and fan. However, at speeds of over 80 km/h the use of your air conditioner is better for fuel consumption than an open window which can be even worse due to the increase of drag on the vehicle and results in decreased fuel economy. The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air-con.