During these tough financial times, everyone is looking to save money. Motorists are especially looking for new ways to save their wallet. Here are 1o tips to that could save you up to £500 a year:

1. Make fuel last longer - Avoid letting the engine warm up before driving – it’s a big waste of fuel. Drive gently for the first few minutes until the engine warms.Try and keep your fuel level at around halfway and clear clutter from inside your car – a heavy car will burn more fuel.
2. Cut Insurance Costs - Call as many car insurance companies as possible. Play companies off against each other when shopping around and quote prices from rival companies to drive costs down.
3. Pay Less for Tax - Buy annually rather than every six months and save up to £40.And if you drive a car which runs on alternative fuel (anything other than petrol or diesel), you’ll save at least £20 per tax band.
4. Check Your Car - Check your car’s tyre pressure is correct – the recommended pressure can found in your vehicle handbook. This can increase fuel efficiency by up to ten per cent.Open the bonnet and ensure the oil and fluid levels are topped up. Consider replacing your battery if it has been run down, or fails to start the car quickly. Remember, if a battery continually runs down, it could be worth having the car’s alternator - which charges the battery - checked.
5. Go green - Use these driving techniques to stretch your fuel even further:• Stay in the left lane on motorways where possible – doing 56mph uses 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph
   • Avoid harsh braking and accelerating – keep speed changes gradual
   • Change gear at around 2,000rpm in a diesel car or around 2,500rpm in a petrol car to put less strain on your engine and use less fuel

6.  Wash your car - Cleaning your car yourself could add hundreds of pounds to your car’s value and saves money on a garage car wash.Buy an all-in-one cleaning kit with car shampoo, polish, a sponge and a leather chamois. Use a bucket of water to rinse – this uses less water and saves money if you’re on a water metre.

7. Get the most money for your car - Set your price correctly – too low and you could lose hundreds of pounds. You’re likely to get a better deal if you clean and repair your car before selling.Place an advert for three weeks online and three weeks in the magazine to save £14.67 and advertise to the most buyers.

8.  Get your next car for less - Haggling could cut hundreds of pounds off the price of a used car.Ask how much the seller realistically expects to get for the car – as soon as they give you a price, look them in the eye, make an offer and say no more. Move to shake their hand to seal the deal.

9. Find a cheap loan - Search around for the best-priced loan before buying a car - you could save thousands of pounds in interest.
10. Save money on car parts - Save money and be kind to the environment by buying used car parts online.This can be cheaper – and greener – than buying new parts. All used parts are checked to see if they’re in good working order before they’re sold.

For more tips on saving money, please visit our page on Economic Driving, to help you get the best from your car.

Cars today are built differently then they were in our grandfather’s day.  Today they are an engineering masterpiece of at least 15,000 different parts and moving pieces.  They still use the standard combustion engine, have four rubber tires and metal bodies, but of course the design of the vehicle’s body have changed considerably.  All vehicles need energy to run and they may still use gasoline or diesel fuel, and of course oil to keep all the parts lubricated and moving smoothly.

There are cars today that run on a combination of gasoline and electricity.  These hybrid vehicles work in tandem, running on electric until the special battery winds down and then switching over to gasoline as the battery charges back up.  Hybrids are helping to keep the pollution level down, but they are still expensive to buy and the way the vehicles are made makes them heavy.  Some countries offer owners of hybrid vehicles tax breaks for purchasing them.

Another alternative power source for vehicles that is being tested is fuel cells.  These are composite membranes, wires, and a box that is combined together to hold fresh supplies of hydrogen.  It mixes with oxygen with the aid of a catalyst to make the chemical energy that drives the motor.  The only by-product of fuel cell energy is water.  While fuel cells may be the most economically sound energy for a vehicle, it is still only in prototype and testing stages.

Motorists are still being hit by rises in petrol prices even though oil is up to 25 per cent cheaper than in it was mid-July. Motorist throughout Britain are asking the question, “when oil increases in price, why do fuel prices react with amazing speed, but when the oil price falls, reaction to this is at a snails pace? Yet the AA reported that the average price at the pumps has actually risen by 0.5p a litre – to 112.72p – since the end of last week.

The motoring organisation said an 18 per cent drop in the wholesale price of petrol has not been fully passed on and that this reduction in price should represent a reduction of 8.5p per litre at the pump. Fuel prices hit a peak in July and they have been dropping from their peak on the 17th of that month at 119.7 for petro; and 133.25 for diesel, although not at the rate that they increased.

It is reported worldwide that some motorists are reverting to dangerous methods in order to try to save fuel. We will not repeat all of these idiotic measures as they can cost people their lives but include over inflating tyres, and rolling through stop signs, an illegal manoeuvre.

However, some sensible and legal advice includes; fastening the seat belt and adjusting your seat and mirrors before starting the engine makes sense. Always brake and accelerate smoothly, consider your parking options to avoid driving round and around the streets. Take off your roof rack when not in use, and if fitted to your car turn off the air conditioning, keep your speed at or below the speed limit.

Do not coast down hills; this is dangerous as is tailgating. Driving too slowly does not save fuel and over inflation of tyres and rolling though stop signs is just dangerous practice and illegal. Be sensible having an accident will certainly be more costly than any fuel saved and can be life threatening.

As soaring fuel prices continue to hit the headlines there can be no motorist who is not interested in saving this precious commodity. Here at the Bill Plant School of Motoring, we have vast experience in driving and want to share our knowledge on techniques you can use to save fuel.

Do you really need to use your car today? If the journey is short, less than two miles for instance, the engine is at its most inefficient and will use more fuel, walking to your destination in these circumstances could be an option. Take the most direct route and go at off-peak times if possible to save fuel and time, sitting in congestion means you are often doing zero miles per litre. Check your tyre pressures this reduces wear and helps fuel economy.

At Bill Plant our qualified driving instructors always emphasise keeping within the speed limit, this is the law after all, but for instance travelling at 56 mph uses 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph and a smoother driving style can bring significant fuel saving. Reduce your drag by removing roof racks when not in use and drive with your windows up. Fuel has never been more expensive, save it!