With rising prices at the pumps meaning that motorists are harder hit than ever before by the costs of keeping their vehicles on the road, every little helps when it comes to saving money on fuel.
One of the truest of all new clichés is that ‘there’s an app for that’ and so it is for those looking for a little help in getting the best value for money when they fill up. Smartphones are a great companion for being on to go so here are some apps that might come in handy. You can also use them before you set off on your home broadband connection.
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DriveGain
This iPhone app gives both audio and visual feedback on your driving style, allowing you to make changes that can make fuel savings by cutting out bad habits and making sure your CO2 emissions are reduced for a more eco-friendly approach. According to research carried out by the UK based company, changing driving habits can result in cutting fuel costs by as much as 15%.
The feedback loop style of the app works by encouraging good habits and pointing out the good and bad so you can make positive changes. Things like the way you accelerate and use gear changes can have a significant impact on fuel consumption.
Fuel Economy Calculator
Corbenic Consulting’s ‘Fuel Economy Calculator’ app does pretty much what it says on the tin and has been called “extremely accurate” by The Sunday Times. The paper rated it as one of the top 500 apps in the world and Moneywise Magazine recommended it by saying it is one of “the best apps to make your money go further”.
It works by monitoring your fuel consumption and helps identify any problems which may impact on fuel efficiency such as low tyre pressure. You simply input some information to find out how much your fuel cost per mile, how much you spend on fuel on average in a month and how much a particular journey will cost you.
EcoSpeed
The makers of this app say using theirs could provide fuel savings of as much as 30%. It uses different technologies designed to help achieve the aim of travelling at the most fuel efficient speed and taking the most fuel-efficient route, which might not necessarily be the shortest because it takes into account traffic conditions such as the number of traffic stops and speed limits.
