Drivers have been warned that a common car feature which is known for saving fuel may actually do the opposite if misused.
In recent months, petrol prices have surged leaving many Brits spending much more than they are used to at the pumps.
While prices have since dropped and are returning to normal, many motorists are becoming much more aware of their fuel use - and are being careful not to waste it.
One way to save fuel is to drive at a constant speed, which is why cruise control can help motorists slash their consumption, reports the Express.
However, the RAC has warned that cruise control will only help you save when on a constant and flat surface, like a motorway.
Drivers who use cruise control on non-flat roads may experience problems as it would be slower to react to gradient changes.
When reaching the brow of a hill, drivers would normally take their foot off the accelerator to maintain more of a constant speed when descending.
The technology will keep the power on for longer as it is unable to see the gradient change in front, which can lead to “worse fuel consumption”, the RAC states.
The most fuel-efficient roads in the country are not quiet extra-urban dual carriageways or 20mph city streets, they are motorways.
According to the latest data from RAC Fuel Watch, drivers are currently facing costs of 164.13p per litre for unleaded petrol and 180.78p for diesel.
While motoring organisations state that these prices should all continue to fall, cars could travel 1,275 miles more for £100 of fuel 30 years ago than they can now on average.
In 1992, petrol prices were around 40p per litre, a far cry from the prices seen recently.
Data, from ChooseMyCar, found that drivers in 1992 would have been able to travel from Glasgow to Rome with £100 of fuel. Nowadays, £100 of fuel could only take a driver from Bristol to Dublin.
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