These days it is hard to escape from technology of one sort of another. From the moment we wake up until the moment we sleep, we rely on a plethora of different technology throughout our daily lives. Even when we get into our cars we use all sorts of technology to simply get us from A to B! One great advantage about technology is that we can also use it to our advantage when it comes to saving money on our car’s fuel bills.
Petrol and diesel are typically one of the biggest motoring-related expenses that all car owners have to pay for, and with the cost of oil set to rise even further in the future, it makes sense to do all that we can to keep our fuel bills down. Here’s how:
Planning journeys with Google Maps
If you spend most of your time driving around your hometown, chances are you will know about the various shortcuts in the area to avoid any traffic blackspots. But when you are travelling long distances, you are likely to just stick to main roads.
But did you know that you can use Google Maps to help you plan your journey better before you set off? This is because the search giant’s mapping system allows for a number of alternative routes to be plotted, helping you to avoid traffic congestion, paying for road tolls and keeping your fuel consumption to a minimum.
Not only can you use Google Maps on your computer, but you can also download smartphone apps for Android-based devices and for the Apple iPhone.
Satellite navigation
Some folks don’t really like using computers or smartphones, but the days of paper maps and static information are well and truly over. To bridge the divide between technophobes and gadget geeks, consumers can buy standalone satellite navigation devices.
Just like smartphones, they use GPS to direct you to your destination, helping you to avoid any routes that are likely to cause you increased fuel usage.
Locate the nearest and cheapest filling stations
If you are one of the millions of people that own a smartphone, you will doubtless know by now that you can install all manner of apps on your mobile device. One of the ways that we can use our smartphones to keep our fuel costs down is to install apps that direct us to our nearest and cheapest filling stations.
Mark from the GK Group recommends doing a search on Google Play (Android) or the App Store (Apple iOS) for apps specific to your location, as you are far more likely to save money using these apps instead of just buying your fuel from the same filling station that you regularly buy from.
Use cruise control for high-speed driving
The thing I love about cruise control is that, for long journeys on the highways and motorways of this world, you can simply a fixed speed that your car will stick to, improving your fuel economy.
Some cars even have ‘adaptive’ cruise control, where the car will slow down if it detects that you are getting too close to the car in front!
