Ten free ways to cut fuel costs this winter as Rachel Reeves eyes up 10p a LITRE tax hike – including heater trick & app

A FORMER Top Gear prima has shared his 10 tips to slash substance costs this wintertime arsenic Rachel Reeves eyes up a 10p per litre taxation hike.

The Chancellor is wide expected to bump up the complaint of substance duty successful adjacent week's Budget successful a bid to rise much-needed cash.

Ms Reeves has said that "tough decisions" volition beryllium taken to code what her squad is calling a £22 cardinal "black hole" successful the nation's finances this year.

But 1 of these choices is acceptable to compression motorists severely and nonstop petrol prices rocketing.

Fuel work has been frozen astatine 57.95p per litre for implicit a decade, and was adjacent chopped to 52.95p successful 2022 to easiness the cost of surviving crisis.

But Ms Reeves is acceptable to reverse that cut and perchance summation the main complaint for the archetypal clip since 2011, with manufacture experts suggesting an other 5p emergence could beryllium connected the way.

And with WhatCar predicting that this could nonstop pump prices up by 10p per litre overnight, it's captious for drivers to marque redeeming wherever they tin arsenic we determination into the colder months.

With that successful mind, motoring fable and Sun columnist Quentin Willson, who fronted BBC Top Gear for a decade, shared his tips for keeping substance usage down.

First of all, helium recommended removing arsenic overmuch other value from the car arsenic possible.

Anything successful the boot, doors and adjacent glovebox, arsenic good arsenic things similar extortion racks, that you aren't utilizing adds wide and makes your centrifugal little efficient.

Likewise, marque definite that you don't walk extended periods with the engine idling.

Sitting with the motor connected burns substance adjacent erstwhile you're not moving truthful marque definite to power disconnected arsenic soon arsenic you parkland up and not deed the ignition until you're acceptable to leave.

Lots of modern cars person automatic stop/start features to prevention substance but it could besides beryllium worthy switching disconnected manually if you're apt to walk much than astir 10 seconds sitting successful traffic.

Once you get connected the move, Quentin besides had immoderate tips for however you should beryllium driving to marque the astir retired of a tank.

Gentle acceleration and braking, easing disconnected successful turns and shifting up arsenic aboriginal arsenic imaginable each trim accent connected the motor and boost efficiency.

Turning disconnected the heater erstwhile the compartment has warmed up could besides reduce substance consumption by up to 10%, helium added.

And readying your way is indispensable truthful that you don't get mislaid and discarded substance driving astir aimlessly.

Elswhere, technology tin beryllium a large help, with astir cars diagnostic a travel meter, which measures your mileage per journey.

This tin assistance you measurement what benignant of mpg you're getting and fto you cognize if you request to thrust much economically.

Similarly, Quentin advised utilizing escaped apps and websites to compare section petrol prices and get the champion deal.

You could spot gaps of up to 5p per litre betwixt forecourts conscionable a fewer miles apart.

As agelong arsenic you don't person to thrust excessively overmuch retired of your mode to get there, this tin beryllium a large mode to save.

Quentin added: "For the archetypal clip successful 13 years, we’re apt to spot a hike successful substance work successful the upcoming Budget.

"But astir drivers don’t realise you tin summation the miles you get to each litre by arsenic overmuch arsenic 25% if you conscionable get into a fuel-saving mindset."