5 fuel saving tips to minimise the cost of your rental

Over the last 12 months, the price of fuel has rocketed.

The cost of oil has doubled post-pandemic. And as a result, petrol and diesel are now at an all-time high – costing around 146p and 149p per litre, respectively.

Here at PSD Vehicle Rental, all our hire vehicles come with a ‘full to full’ fuel policy.

This is by far the best option, as it means you only pay for what you use. But it also means you’ll be affected by the rising fuel prices. It’ll cost more to fill the tank at the end of the hire term, and automatically, that will increase the overall cost of your rental.

Of course, the price of fuel is something that’s completely out of our control. But to try to minimise the impact for our customers, here we’ve compiled a quick guide to fuel-efficient driving. Often referred to as ‘hypermiling’, these are just a few simple driving techniques, which can help to increase your miles per gallon (MPG) and save you a little money.

So before you collect your rental vehicle, why not take a look? Drive with fuel economy in mind and pay for as little fuel as possible.

How to save fuel using ‘hypermiling’ techniques

1. 1. Avoid harsh acceleration

Accelerating excessively is a huge gas-guzzler.

Yes, there are several times throughout the journey when you’ll need to put your foot down – but you certainly don’t need to drive like you’re at Silverstone! When it comes to economical driving, slow and steady wins the race. Pull away gently. Try to keep your right foot as light as possible. And never overtake unnecessarily.

2. 2. Use high gears

The faster your engine spins, the more petrol or diesel it will consume.

That’s why, one of the easiest ways to save fuel is to drive in the highest gear possible. Even when you’re travelling through urban areas, try to move up through the gears as quickly as you can, using the lowest number of revs – ideally around the 2000rpm mark. But remember to keep within the speed limit at all times!

3. 3. Don’t lose momentum

Maintaining momentum is essential to fuel economy.

It’s important to read the road ahead. Anticipate what’s going to happen next and, depending on the traffic conditions, always try to keep the car moving as much as possible.

For example, if the upcoming traffic lights are on red, ease back on the accelerator and slow down naturally. That way, you may not even have to come to a complete stop. If you’re approaching a hill, accelerate slightly before you reach its base and ease off as you take the incline.

These may seem like very small changes, but they’re fantastic hypermiling techniques, and they will help to minimise your fuel costs.

4. 4. Try not to idle

Idling is one of the biggest culprits for wasting fuel. So if your vehicle is fitted with an intelligent start-stop system, our advice is to use it as much as you can.

This cuts off the engine when you’re stationary and restarts it with minimal effort, once you press the clutch or release the brake. Not only does it significantly decrease fuel consumption, it also reduces emissions – which is good news for both your bank balance and the environment!

5. 5. Combine journeys

Another fantastic fuel saving tip – rather than doing several short trips, go on one long journey.

Compared to an engine that’s already warm, multiple cold starts are pretty bad for fuel economy. Even though your total mileage is likely to be the same, you’ll use a lot more fuel by taking separate trips on separate occasions. So it’s worth thinking about what you need to do and perhaps plan a longer route, that incorporates all your errands in one go.

6. 6. Use cruise control wisely

In some circumstances, such as on a motorway, cruise control can be a great fuel saver. It allows you to leave the vehicle in top gear and maintain a constant speed.

But in other circumstances, it can actually be a hindrance.

This is because it doesn’t have your foresight. Cruise control is unable to react to changes in gradient, such as those found on winding roads and hilly areas, as quickly as you would do yourself. So it pays to be savvy. When you’re not driving on a straight, flat surface, simply switch it off and keep your fuel consumption to a minimum.

A fleet of rental cars that maximise fuel-efficiency

Here we’ve listed some of the key hypermiling techniques that you can use, to help you drive economically in our cars and vans. But rest assured, we also do our bit too.

All of our hire vehicles are regularly maintained and serviced, and we frequently check their tyre pressure, to ensure they’re as fuel-efficient as possible. What’s more, we always keep our hire rates to an absolute minimum – therefore (hopefully!) negating some of the impact caused by rising fuel costs.

For further advice on how to save fuel – or for more information on how our ‘full to full’ fuel policy works – please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can either give us a call on 0345 222 1022 or send an email to info@psdvehiclerental.co.uk and a member of the team will get back to you.