A large portion of our monthly budget is spent on fuel consumption, knowingly or unknowingly. From young students going to school to corporate persons conducting businesses, the one thing everyone does almost every day is Travel! Businesses, too, rely heavily on transportation for transporting their products across various locations. The growth in industries over the years has much been credited to transportation & logistics, leading to increased fuel consumption. Along with it, the ever-growing population & their dependency on transportation have eventually led to fuel price hike over the years. It seems a near past when one filled petrol at around Rs. 50 per litre and diesel around Rs. 35 per litre. In the years between, the prices of diesel and petrol have skyrocketed with records made & broken almost every day, making fuel a prized commodity. Vehicle owners, fleet owners, businesses, all have been affected by the hike at large. One thing has been clear during these past years that fuel price rise is beyond the control of a common man and they seem to be only increasing exponentially every passing year. All one can do is find ways to optimise fuel consumption by using it efficiently. Apart from increasing expenditure budget, fuel price rise has been & will continue to affect people in many ways. The rise in the price of fuel gives rise to many other commodities & products. Let us see how we as fuel consumers, will be affected by the surge in prices. 

 Here are the things which can become costlier for you. 

•  Fuel bills 

The direct impact of fuel price rise is the increase in your monthly expenditure. A clear hiked difference is observed in calculations of spending against same distance travelled earlier & presently. The fuel bills have risen to at least 10% averaged for all users travelling around 1000kms per month.  

• Essential commodities and goods 

The cost of transportation increases as the first indirect effect of the fuel price rise across the country. Eventually, prices of essential commodities like fruit and vegetables as well as other goods shoot up. A persistent higher price at the consumer level may lead to inflation.

• Interest rates 

Higher inflation may eventually lead the Reserve Bank of India to consider increasing interest rates. Thus, loan seekers will have to pay a higher interest rate. 

• Foreign travel, education, trade 

Another indirect impact arising out of high crude oil prices is falling of Rupee currency rate. The cost of import goes up due to increase in crude oil prices, and pressure mounts on Rupee. So be it tourist planning holidays overseas or students planning to study abroad, the depreciating exchange rate will affect all. 

• Businesses dealings in foreign currency. 

Businesses dealing in foreign currency will face the consequences on their economy. Businesses will have to be prepared for the impact and rejig the finances as crude oil price rises and the rupee continues to depreciate. 

So let us now see how we can reduce our fuel consumption. 

Drivers themselves can play a part in keeping fuel costs down by driving more smoothly and with more anticipation. 

1. Avoid Aggressive Driving & Go easy on the brakes 

Rapid accelerating, speeding, and frequent braking can eat up a lot of fuel. These practices can reduce your fuel efficiency by as much as 33% on driving at highways and within the city. Similarly, harsh braking uses more fuel and so do increased acceleration and gear changes. 

Drivers should anticipate more and take preventive measures early, reducing the need to apply immediate brakes. 

        2.  Keep Your Speed in Check  

Studies conducted have shown that the efficiency of vehicles drops significantly as the speed rises beyond 80 km/h. It is advisable to drive at speeds between 60 km/h to 80 km/h, depending on the kind of road/vehicle you are driving on.  

        3. Intelligent clutch control & Smart gear use 

Keep the revs down by using the clutch to change gear to your advantage as unnecessary revving increases fuel and extra wear on the engine. Keeping in as high a gear as possible and skipping gears, when practical, makes economic sense. It isn’t necessary to use every gear, and the quicker you can reach top gear, the less fuel is used. 

        4. On Highways, Drive with Your Windows Up  

As compared to in-city driving, vehicles are driven at higher speeds on highways. Driving at higher speeds with the windows down increases the drag on the vehicle resulting in about 10% increased fuel consumption. 

        5. GPS tracking systems for efficient fuel consumption 

        6.  Avoid unnecessary idling 

Engine idling not only wastes fuel but increases emissions. Turning off the engine when it’s not in use, or when stationary in traffic for a minute or longer, will cause less pollution and save more fuel than keeping the engine idling. Small cars consume up to a litre of petrol for every 60 minutes spent idles. It costs around 1.7p per minute on an average. Larger cars consume petrol at double the rate. 

        7.  Regular Servicing is Necessary  

In order to keep the wear and tear in check and help restore the vehicle to optimum running condition, it is necessary that the vehicle must be regularly serviced for engine tune up, air filter cleaning, oil check, etc. Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by 10% or more. Dirty air filters too can seriously reduce your fuel economy. 

        8. Limit the use of the Air conditioning while driving  

As we all know, driving the car with the AC running can increase the load on the engine, causing greater fuel consumption. So, limit the use of air conditioning unless it's necessary. 

        9. Think green to save money  

Ask yourself if you really need to drive, especially on short journeys, which are the most inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. Whenever possible use public transport or at least carpool while travelling. It not only saves your expenses but also saves fuel consumption. 

Apart from these measures, special additives are available in markets that assure reduced fuel consumption. However, the best way is to stay more alert & use your vehicles wisely. Practise safe driving, buy fuel-efficient vehicles, use safety & intelligent vehicle accessories like GPS tracking system. Lastly, always keep your car serviced & maintained to avoid further losses.