Drivers could be conserving "two litres of fuel an hour" just by tapping into a feature that's likely already present in their cars. Amidst bumper-to-bumper traffic, vehicles guzzle petrol and diesel even at a standstill, which can be brutal for your wallet as you inch along without real progress.
But thriftier motorists might heed the call of a savvy function that's usually bundled with their car’s sat nav systems: the live traffic alert. This tech-savvy tool keeps an eye out for jams and prangs, potentially rerouting travellers away from maddening gridlocks and towards smoother sailing — both quicker and kinder to your fuel gauge
CarShop experts acknowledge the frustration of going round in circles on the road, noting that "We've all been there, finding ourselves lost and driving in circles trying to find our way back on track but getting lost does waste fuel by driving unnecessary miles."
They advocate for preparedness: "Making sure the route is planned and address details are entered into a sat nav before setting off can help avoid this."
Also, they stress an often-overlooked aspect of sat nav upkeep: "Ensuring the sat nav has traffic updates is also useful for saving fuel as sitting in traffic jams is also costly with the average car burning two litres of fuel an hour in traffic jams.", reports the Mirror.
Michelin's research indicates that idling vehicles consume approximately 0.8 litres of fuel per hour, and leading garage providers are cautioning that the frequent stopping and starting in traffic jams significantly increases fuel consumption—by nearly 90 percent on motorways and an astonishing 175 percent on city streets.
Experts from BookMyGarage, the premier comparison site for car service and repair costs, have highlighted the extensive damage that idling can cause to vehicles. They've issued a severe warning about the detrimental effects of this common practice, stating it could drastically reduce the "lifespan of the engine" and severely affect "other" vital components as well.
Their statement was clear: "If you let your car engine idle, you could unintentionally be wasting fuel. This can in turn reduce the lifespan of the engine by stripping oil from the pistons and cylinders."
The experts didn't shy away from offering guidance, further advising: "Additionally, idling can contribute to the wear of other related components. Instead, drive slowly as the car begins to warm up, as a cold engine will be less efficient."
In a welcome development for motorists, petrol and diesel prices saw their first decrease in six months during March, providing some financial respite as many plan road trips for the Easter holidays.
By the close of March, the average cost for a litre of unleaded petrol had dropped to 136.03p – a reduction of nearly 4p (3.6p) from the beginning of the month when it stood at 139.62p, marking the lowest price point since late November 2024.
Motorists are now shelling out £74.82 to fill a standard 55-litre family car, nearly £2 less than at the start of March.
The average price per litre of diesel also saw a significant drop, falling 4p in March from 146.46p to 142.51p, its lowest since early December 2024. This puts the cost of filling a family-sized car with diesel at £78.38, £2.17 less than at the beginning of March.
However, drivers can make even more substantial savings by shopping around for fuel. RAC's analysis of local pump price data reveals that some supermarket and non-supermarket forecourts are charging under 126p for a litre of unleaded – a whole 10p a litre less than the UK average, and a saving of nearly £5 a tank on a full fill-up.
Diesel can be found for 131p a litre in some locations, an impressive 11p less than the UK average – a saving of £6 on a tank.
Northern Ireland's drivers are once again reaping the benefits of the lowest prices overall, with no motorist there paying any more than 137p a litre for petrol and 141p for diesel.
