With petrol prices in the UK soaring, motorists are being offered a clever trick to help save up to a whopping £600 a year on their fuel.
With the cost of so many things in life skyrocketing, driving is no exception.
Since the start of 2022, oil and fuel prices have increased by around a quarter, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
A limited effort to offset the price hikes was made by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in his April Spring Statement, where he knocked off 5p from the litre.
But drivers have been left scandalised by the price of petrol near them in recent days, with the cost of filling up a family car now topping £100.
But some experts recommend a simple trick to help cut fuel costs right down - and it's known as 'hypermiling'.
What is hypermiling?
Hypermiling is a cost-effective way of driving that maximises the amount of miles you do to the gallon - increasing the amount of time before you have to fill up.
Guinness World Record holder Kevin Brooker is one of the UK’s most successful hypermilers. He regularly competes in miles per gallon marathons and has won trophies for it.
He has a long commute - living in Swansea he works for the National Parks in Brecon, and has to drive 70 miles each time he heads in.
Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “It was almost a way to gamify it, to get the fuel I was using to go further.
“I was learning the techniques to get the most out of that gallon.
“The bonus was I was saving money. Over a month, I could save up to £50 without really increasing my journey time."
He explained: “Most cars have a range metre now, telling you how many miles you have left.
“You do find you try to go further than the car thinks it can go on the fuel you’ve got.”
Brooker has now been urging other drivers to get into hypermiling to help them save hundreds.
The crucial aspect of the trick is to avoid harsh acceleration or braking - braking in conventional fuel cars is fundamentally a waste of fuel, as it means the energy created is taken off prematurely.
Hybrid cars, however, are a lot more clever, with roughly 70% of energy from the brakes being reused, diverted back to the battery.
One big trick to getting hypermiling just right is to keep an eye on the traffic flow in front of you.
Kevin said: “Read the road ahead for traffic lights and roundabouts, so you always keep moving.
“If there’s a green light a fair distance off, there’s a high probability it will be red by the time you get to it.
“It’s all about pacing, so you get there when it’s green. With roundabouts, feed into them rather than stop.”
It’s also advisable to drive as slowly as you reasonably can. This is a cheaper way to drive, ensuring you are in as high a gear as possible without labouring the engine.
Be sure to change your motor up a gear earlier than you would normally so as to avoid going into high revs for too long.
On big busy roads like motorways, just go with the flow of traffic and don’t worry too much about overtaking people.
All of these things shouldn’t impact your journey time too much.
It will also help to maintain your vehicle as well as possible with good tyre pressure - often it will pay in the long term to buy better quality tires.
It’s also a smart call to make your car light by taking out the junk you don’t need and, where possible, downsizing your car entirely.
