The energy crisis and the cost of fuel are weighing more and more on the shoulders of families who are faced with a significant increase in expenses of all kinds.
When the petrol price increases, Italian families may see an increase in transport costs, which in turn have a large impact on monthly spending. Indeed, depending on vehicles for everyday transport, such as commuting to work or taking the children to school, households have to set aside part of their income to fill up their cars. In addition, transportation costs can affect the prices of consumer goods as well, as companies that manufacture and distribute goods often use vehicles for delivery.
There are several reasons so the price of petrol is rising. One of the main reasons is the cost of crude oil, which is rising due to increased global demand and geopolitical tensions in some parts of the world. Additionally, the cost of producing gasoline can also increase due to rising energy costs and production costs.
However, they exist many strategies and techniques that can help households reduce fuel bills and mitigate the financial impact of rising energy costs.
A technique that hardly anyone uses to save fuel is really trivial and anyone can do it!
Let’s first see some very intuitive and simple methods for saving fuel:
- Maintain correct tire pressure: underinflated tires can increase fuel consumption by 3-4%.
- Drive smart: Accelerate gradually, avoid hard braking and maintain a constant speed. In this way, fuel consumption can be reduced by 5-15%.
- Remove unnecessary cargo: Extra weight increases fuel consumption. Remove unnecessary cargo, such as bags and luggage, when not needed.
- Maintain your vehicle regularly: Regular maintenance can improve fuel efficiency by replacing dirty air filters or defective spark plugs.
Even a more diligent use of the engine can help a lot, in fact:
- Use the correct gear shift: Use lower gears when you need to accelerate quickly, but shift up as soon as possible to save fuel.
- Shut the engine off when possible: when the vehicle is stationary, such as at a traffic light or in a queue, it is good practice, if you do not have automatic stop and start, to switch off the engine which would otherwise consume fuel for nothing.
- Use cruise control: Cruise control maintains a constant speed and reduces the use of the brake and accelerator, saving fuel.
The technique we wanted to discuss in this article, however, concerns trivially the window. Heating or cooling the vehicle can result in higher fuel consumption up to 10%. For this, when you are circulating in the city a low speedsusing the window instead of turning on the air conditioning can lead not only to a relief of freshness, but also to a reduction in consumption: in fact, the air conditioning requires electricity from the vehicle’s engine, which in turn requires fuel.
However, it’s important to note that there are some situations where the window technique might not be effective. For example, when traveling at high speed on the highway, opening the windows can cause additional wind resistance, which can increase fuel consumption. Also, in some areas with extremely hot or humid air, air conditioning may be required to maintain an adequate level of comfort inside the vehicle.
