Fuel Saving Tips for Businesses ~FuelSavingTipsForBusinesses
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Saving money and keeping costs down is vital for any business big or small. If your job requires you to travel long distances, then you’ll know how quickly fuel costs can add up and how frustrating that can feel. With fuel prices constantly fluctuating and rising, petrol or diesel will often be one of a company’s biggest expenses.
But when you’re running a fleet of vehicles there are ways to keep your fuel expenditure down. Whether it’s finding the cheapest places to fill up, choosing more economical vehicles or even reducing the amount you travel and when – here’s our top tips.
Choose the right vehicles
Currently, the UK government plans to stop sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 – replacing them with all-electric vehicles. If you opt for a fully electric fleet then any worries you have about fuel prices will be a thing of the past although, you will need to worry about the cost of charging and where to do it.
If at the moment going all-electric isn’t an option for you, why not consider hybrid vehicles? Plug-in hybrids use both fuel and charging whereas other hybrids don’t need to be charged but generate electricity during economical travel.
There are also plenty of petrol and diesel cars which are considerably more economical and less fuel-guzzling than others. Make that one of the criteria you consider when buying a new vehicle or replacing an old one. Look for models which have economy figures over 100MPG and ideally low emissions which will be exempt from emissions charges which are popping up in cities around the UK.
Maintain your vehicles
Keeping your vehicles well maintained and up to date with regular servicing helps improve your MPG. Fixing problems straight away can stop issues from escalating which could affect your fuel efficiency and even leave you without a working car or van.
Whether it’s replacing worn parts and clogged air filters or upgrading to the manufacturer’s recommended motor oil you could improve your gas mileage by as much as 1–2%. It can also be as simple as keeping your tyres pumped up and checking the pressure as when they’re correctly inflated it improves fuel consumption.
Think about fuel-efficient driving
Even the most experienced drivers, who travel regularly for business, can make their driving more fuel-efficient. Driving in higher gears without sharp braking and rapid acceleration makes your driving smoother and burns less fuel – so change up as quickly as you can with the least revs you can.
Using the air conditioning or the heater in your car can use up to 25% more fuel. So, if it’s hot, simply open the windows and if you’re cold then make sure you’re dressed appropriately or even invest in driving gloves to keep your hands warm.
When you’re travelling for work, it’s more than likely that you have things with you in the back or boot that you need for your job. But if you can, take out anything that isn’t essential as more weight in the car, wastes more fuel, especially when accelerating.
Look for cheap places to refuel
This tip might seem like an obvious one but when you’re busy, it often seems a lot easier to just fill up at the closest petrol station. However, if you’re travelling long distances up and down motorways, you’re going to be coming across the most expensive fuel and paying a premium.
Although it takes a bit of time and effort, it’s a good idea to plan your journeys and figure out where to fill up before you set off. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on petrol stations you pass to compare prices for next time.
Getting a business fuel card is another really simple way to get discounted business fuel. Plus, the best fuel cards come with an app or online tool which helps you or your drivers plan travel and check prices without having to waste any fuel driving around to find the cheapest option.
Avoid driving at peak times
Traffic jams. Nobody likes sitting in them. They are also extremely bad at burning fuel. Stop-start driving, with regular acceleration and braking, increases fuel consumption so avoid driving at peak times – when people are heading to and from work – to avoid being in one.
The same goes for driving in urban areas, even when there’s no grid-lock, where stop-start driving is common with traffic lights and pedestrians crossing. The most efficient speed to travel at is 55-65mph so the more you can stick to faster roads and dual carriageways, the better. However, driving any faster than that causes fuel efficiency to decrease rapidly (and of course, above 70 in the UK is illegal).
Maybe there are even times when you don’t need to drive at all. Can you change a face-to-face meeting to a virtual conference call? If you run an office, can you switch to a hybrid working model to save a few commutes’ worth of petrol for yourself – and everyone else?
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