Fuel Card Article

Save Fuel By Being A Better Driver

Although fuel cards help you to streamline the purchasing and payment of your fleet's fuel, as well as offering considerable discounts on fuel pump prices, there are a number of measures that each individual driver can take to help reduce your overall fuels costs too. By becoming a more conscious driver who is steady on the accelerator and easy on the gears, you will have a positive affect on fuel consumption, lowering your running costs and becoming a safer, more considerate driver.

1 – Faster driving doesn't mean a quicker journey

It's common knowledge that by driving at a steady 56 miles per hour, even on the motorway that you'll use far less fuel than you would if travelling at 70 or even 80 miles per hour. Although most drivers do have a habit of driving at the designated speed limit, by dropping their miles-per-hour to a more fuel efficient speed will add surprisingly little to most journey times. Many driver's wrongly assume that the faster they drive, the sooner they'll arrive. But in reality, faster driving only means you'll catch the slow moving traffic sooner, and before long, all those vehicles you overtook will soon be only a few cars behind you. By sticking to a steady 56 miles per hour, you'll save a considerable amount on fuel, will have a lower risk of a serious accident and when all is said and done, your journey will take only a few more minutes to complete.

2 – Change gear sooner rather than later

Many drivers tend to pick up a wide range of bad habits when they pass their driving test, and more often than not these habits have a tendency to escalate as the years pass pass by. Changing gear at the top of their revs is a very common habit many drivers pick up; they like to hear the engine roar before changing up to the next gear. However this practice puts unnecessary wear and tear on the engine and transmission system as well as increasing fuel usage. By changing gear sooner rather than later, i.e. below 2000 RPM puts less stress on the engine which can help keep maintenance and repair costs down, and also keeps fuel consumption down to a minimum as the engine is not working harder than it should.

 

3 – Anticipate the road and traffic ahead

Going back to the bad habits many drivers pick up after passing their test, paying more attention to the car ahead rather than the road ahead is one of the most common. Too many drivers see the car in front as something to get past and therefore look for an opportunity to overtake. This results in unnecessary acceleration, heavy handed braking and potentially risky manoeuvres. By paying more attention to the road ahead will enable you to plan your gear changes and control your speed far more efficiently as the traffic slows or as the road opens up. By taking advantage of the vehicle's natural momentum can help you achieve more efficient miles per gallon.

 

4 – Windows up or windows down?
When to use air-conditioning

Today, many more vehicles are fitted with air-conditioning then there were ten or twenty years ago. However many drivers don't realise that this modern convenience actually increases fuel consumption by some 5%. Although it is also a fact that driving at speed with the windows down also adds to fuel consumption by increasing the vehicle's drag factor, there is a tipping point. It's more fuel efficient when driving up to 40 miles per hour to turn off the air-conditioning and wind down the windows, saving the air-con mainly for motorway driving.

 

At Cambrian fuel Cards, we're keen to promote safer and more fuel efficient driving as much as we're keen to promote the use of  company fuel cards. We endeavour to help companies throughout the UK to save money on fuel expenditure, reduce their carbon footprint and to make the roads a safer environment for those whose livelihood depends on driving. For more information on how we can help you and your fleet save money on fuel expenditure, drive more efficiently and make the roads safer for all, contact us on 01633 677677.

The main benefit across all fuelcards is the admin advantage they offer. Some fuel cards give a fixed weekly rate for fuel, which will normally save companies around 3 pence per litre, subsequently there is a cost saving on fuel as well as less time spent on administration. Using petrol cards and diesel cards also enables companies to repay the exact amount that drivers have spent on fuel, ensuring they do not overpay expenses, while also ensuring drivers aren’t left out of pocket.

Fuelcards allow fleets to precisely measure their carbon footprint which is vital in understanding current carbon emissions, setting reduced targets and measuring them, resulting in a greener fleet. This can also increase fuel efficiency.

Some fleets may only require their drivers to purchase fuel and others are happy to permit purchase of other items from the forecourt. This is completely down to the customer’s preference and fuelcard companies permit businesses to designate purchase options when setting up their new card. Fleet managers can also set-up alerts on fuelcard usage. For example, a fleet manager might want to be warned immediately when cards are used outside of designated hours, when a higher than usual amount of fuel is purchased or when fuel is purchased outside of a specific area is.

The simplest way to achieve this is to identify the vehicle’s registration number on the fuelcard. This must match the registration number of the vehicle being filled up or the petrol station will refuse the payment.

Traditionally, fuel cards were aimed at haulage and courier companies and other similar industries. But now an increasing number of companies are learning about the advantages of petrol cards and diesel cards, leading to customers becoming more diverse. Other changes may include larger product offerings, for example the ability to pay road tolls and other services, giving firms the advantage of tying in fleet expenses with their fuel spend on a single account.

A reporting system is essential in helping to manage a fleet in an effective way, so it is vital that the reports you get you are able to make good use of. You need to examine these reports that are available and make sure that they draw attention to any purchases that need to be called into question. Also ensure that you are able to gain access to the reports online whenever you need to in order to obtain up-to-date information regarding vehicle and driver performance and to ensure you have sight of exactly when and where fuel was purchased to guarantee your drivers are using cost efficient routes. These reports ensure that every driver is held responsible and can be useful when the need to assess new training requirements arises.
One of the leading UK providers of fuel cards is Cambrian Fuelcard Services who can offer you a no obligation assessment of your business and they can then recommend the best fuel card for your business. Visit their website at www.fuel-card.co.uk or call 01633 677 677.