Owning a car has never been a cheap endeavour. But with fuel costs spiralling, a cost-of-living crisis, and heating our homes becoming extortionate, is owning our beloved vehicle going to be the straw that breaks Britain’s back?

Fuel costs in the city and around the country are now over £2 a litre on some forecourts, and it doesn’t look to be coming down any time soon, so why is the price of fuel so high?

Why are Fuel Prices so High?

Oil prices worldwide spiked this year and its effects on the price of fuel made from oil, and industries that use anything that is made from oil have forced prices up. The cost is rising due to the ever-increasing price of oil production which has grown by 60 per cent in the last 12 months. This spiralling cost of oil after barrel cost coupled with the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine means we are paying more than ever before to fill up our cars. 

The price of oil has a direct impact on the price of petrol and diesel on our forecourts. But not only this, many industries rely on those fuels – from transportation and heavy industry to manufacturing and even hospitality and retail! That increase in oil price means other industries are forced to up their prices leaving the consumer to foot the bill!

The UK is making moves to be less reliant on Russian oil and gas reserves now Russian is holding them hostage. This could mean new deals with other countries now Brexit has allowed fresh trade agreements to be made, or it could lead to new fuel being sought on home soil. Fracking remains on the lips of many ministers in parliament, so it is a real possibility that the UK could commit to a rethink on the future of fracking.  Ideally, a move to using greener methods of energy like renewables and switching to electric and hybrid cars could be the solution we are looking for.

What Can I Do to Reduce Fuel Costs?

Reducing your fuel costs could help you save a lot of money in this time of fuel crisis. There are some great measures you can take right now to reduce your fuel costs.

The obvious method is to reduce the amount you use your car or vehicle. You could invest in a bicycle for shorter commutable journeys. In the long run that could save you hundreds of pounds a year and go to helping you keep fit and healthy.

You could also switch your vehicle to an electric vehicle. You can top up for free at many places these days, and with oil, a finite resource investment in electric vehicles is at an all-time high, so they are only getting better! 

Beyond these changes, you could save money on fuel just by adopting some better driving habits:

• Tyre Pressures

Having your vehicle’s tyres inflated to the correct pressures has a huge impact on your vehicle’s fuel economy.

• Accelerate and Brake Responsibly  

Aggressive acceleration and sudden brakes might make you feel a little more like Lewis Hamilton, but it harms your vehicle’s fuel efficiency greatly.

• Aerodynamics

Opening your windows can play a big part in your car’s aerodynamics, even if they are just open a crack. At high speeds, this open window will affect the drag and, in turn, your fuel efficiency.

• Check Your Weight

The more weight there is in the car, the higher your fuel costs are going to be.

• Clean Your Filters

Keep the clean car ethos going and make sure to clean your dirty or clogged fair and oil filters. Get your engine serviced regularly and the more you keep that engine working at an optimal level, the less you’ll spend on fuel.

Leave The Car at Home and Save Money on Motoring

If you don’t need to drive somewhere, then don’t. Take the bus, walk, or give Aberdeen Taxis a call and we will get you where you are going!

Prebook your Aberdeen Taxi through any of Aberdeen Taxis’ convenient platforms:

Call Aberdeen Taxis on 01224200200

Download the Aberdeen Taxis app

Use our online booking service

Drop into the Aberdeen Taxis office at 5 Crown St, Aberdeen AB11 6HA

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Whilst there is little any of us can directly do about the above, there are still some steps you can take to save money on your energy and fuel bills. 

Here are Aberdeen Taxis’ top tips for saving money on your bills.  

1. Switch off lights and appliances 

It might seem like a bit of an obvious one, but it can make a real difference to the pennies and pounds that go towards your energy bill.  

Switch to energy-saving lightbulbs like LEDs and turn off lights that are not essential. Extend that philosophy to other appliances in your home and unplug any appliances or even charging cables that you’re not using. Keeping those gadgets on or on standby can waste electricity and in turn, waste YOUR money! According to the Energy Saving Trust just taking your appliances off standby can save you £35 a year.  

2. Reduce your appliance energy consumption 

There are plenty of small ways to reduce your energy consumption that all add up to decent savings come the end of the year. If you usually put your clothes through a 60-degree hot wash, take down the heat to 30 and save on the cash it takes to heat the water to such a degree.  

Once the washing is done consider ditching tumble drying the wet clothes. Tumble dryers guzzle energy, and now we are getting into warmer weather, it’s a perfect excuse to let the clothes see the sun on the line and save yourself some cash. 

You might not know it, but microwaves tend to use much less energy than the oven. So, whenever you can, nuke your food rather than heat up the oven and this could save you as much as £80 each year. 

3. Turn the heating down 

Heating your home is expensive and it’s going to get a lot more expensive from April 2022. Turning down the heat by just 1°C can save you as much as £80 per year on your heating bills according to the comparison website uSwitch. 

It might sound a bit Dickensian, but if you can put up with having the thermostat lower and layer up instead, you could make some significant savings on your energy costs. 

4. Insulate your home and save on your energy bills

It might be a bit boring but insulating your home can make a huge difference to the efficiency of heating your home.

As much as 25% of the heat from your home can leak through your roof. So, padding out your loft can help stop the warmth from escaping, meaning you don’t have to turn the heating on as often. It could save you up to a whopping £130 a year! There is a reason Extinction Rebellion feel so strongly about insulation! 

Other very glamourous energy-saving home improvements include: 

Installing double glazing on your windows 

Draft-proofing your doors and windows  

Insulating the pipes 

Cavity walls insulation

You could save hundreds of pounds a year by spending now on improving your home’s heating efficiency. 

5. Get a smart thermostat 

A smart thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home and decide how much energy you’re using through your central heating. 

You can use a timer so that the heating turns on when you want it to. 

The temperature can also be set from your phone so you can control your heating remotely, which is handy if you forgot to turn it off while you’re out. 

Save On Your Fuel Bills

To add to the pressure facing UK households this summer, fuel costs have been spiralling. Petrol and diesel are at all-time highs and don’t look like they are going to come down any time soon. Read IT Garage Services guide to being more economical with your fuel for hints and tips to save your car costs.

As ever, you can save filling up the car by calling one of our cabs to get you around Inverness. Whether it be a night out or an important appointment, Aberdeen Taxis will get you there safe and sound and on time. Download the Aberdeen Taxis app or call 01224 200200 to book your Aberdeen cab now!  

You could also become an Inverness Taxi driver now to kick start a new career or start the perfect side hustle! Check out our guide on becoming an Aberdeen taxi driver for more details!

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