| Description: | Does the AC and heat use fuel? Yes, it does. Don’t use your air conditioning unless you really have to as it uses engine power and therefore increases fuel consumption. This goes for heat as well as cooling, so try to dress for the weather, even inside your car, if fuel efficiency is a big concern. Consider making one round trip rather than several short trips. Once the engine is warm it will operate at its most efficient whereas several cold starts will increase fuel consumption even though the total mileage could be the same While this isn’t going to make the biggest difference to your mpg figures it stands to reason that the heavier a vehicle is, the more fuel it will use. For that reason, don’t keep unnecessary items in your boot as they all add weight to your vehicle, which is not going to help your fuel economy in the long run. What is hypermiling? In light of fuel cost increases, the technique of hypermiling has been gaining popularity as fuel economy best practice. Whilst it's got a flashy name, simply following the tips above will save you money on fuel, so don't worry too much about sticking to a specific hypermiling regimen. |
