Top News

Drivers worried about the rapidly rising cost of petrol and diesel are being urged to avoid short journeys because they are so much more expensive on fuel economy.

Petrol prices just keep going up right now thanks to the crisis in the Middle East. The cost of unleaded now sits at 143.35p on average as of Friday morning, while diesel is 163.73p on average, according to the RAC. Both are significantly up from just two weeks ago.

Drivers worried about the cost of petrol are being warned about how much more expensive it is to run your car for shorter journeys.

The RAC, in its online guidance on saving fuel, has various tips on how to boost your miles per gallon.

The RAC guidance on fuel saving says: "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

"This is why the RAC's Record Road Trip team kept going almost continuously, only stopping for 20 minutes at a time on the way to setting a world record of driving through 14 countries on one tank of fuel. That was 1,158.9 miles, driving at an average speed of 45mph and achieving an incredible 75.9mpg."

This is backed up by Approved Garages, which adds that short journeys are not just worse for fuel economy, they are also adding unneccesary strain to all sorts of other components.

It says: "Modern petrol engines are designed to be efficient and reliable, but short journeys can put unnecessary strain on your engine, battery, and other essential components. Many drivers don't realise that frequently driving only short distances can lead to increased wear and tear, reduced fuel efficiency, and even engine damage over time."

Other tips on saving fuel from the RAC include removing unneccesary weight, such as roof racks and roof bars, staying in higher gears, accelerating less heavily and driving as smoothly as possible.

One other thing drivers can use to save money is the new Fuel Finder app. The website now mandates that petrol stations load their live prices into it, so that motorists can check the cheapest fuel in their postcode.

Another tip on fuel economy relates to tyres. Always make sure that your tyres are inflated to the correct PSI reading as under-inflated tyres can impact a car's economy and safety.

Driving a car with under-inflated tyres uses more fuel as the engine is having to work harder to get the car up to speed.

Car manufacturers usually fit tyre pressure labels in the vehicle's owner's manual, in the fuel filler door or in the front door shuts. Always inflate the tyres to the car's correct PSI, with many petrol stations providing air machines, to make it easier for you to quickly top-up your tyres.