Petrol prices are on the rise and more people are now considering switching to electric vehicles. Each year the Inland Revenue Department calculates the cost per kilometre of operating a vehicle, which includes the fixed costs and depreciation and running costs. The good news is that the cost of an electric vehicle has gone down […]
TB from Blenheim writes, on the face of it, then, a motorist would seem ill-advised to use regular petrol in a car with a high-compression engine. That was certainly the case in the past. But cars today have sensors that listen carefully for the knocking sound, and instantly retard the ignition system when they detect […]
TB from Blenheim writes, “On the face of it, then, a motorist would seem ill-advised to use regular petrol in a car with a high-compression engine. That was certainly the case in the past. But cars today have sensors that listen carefully for the knocking sound, and instantly retard the ignition system when they detect […]
Paul has this tip for frugal motorists. “There is an APP for mobile phones called ‘gaspy’. It’s a kiwi bit of software that uses the GPS on your phone to show the cheapest petrol stations near you – and the distance from your current position.” We were aware of the APP and first looked at […]
Paul writes, “On the subject of motoring costs, a frugal traveller recently reported that they save quite a lot of money by shopping around for the petrol stations with the lowest fuel price. ‘I have found the Gull self-service stations the cheapest by far. On a recent trip to the Bay of Plenty we saved […]
With the evening weather getting cooler – frosty. Keep a sunlight liquid container of water in your car for when the front window ices over. Just squirt on window and wipers do the trick. – Adrienne from Christchurch.
Low petrol prices is good news for frugal motorists, but an oily ragger has asked why, given the collapse in crude prices, petrol pump prices are not a lot lower. The answer is actually quite simple. At US$27 a barrel, crude oil prices are at their lowest level since 2003, and a long way from […]
Handy hint for winter months. Keep a sunlight liquid type squeeze bottle of water in your car for when you go out in evening and find front car window frozen. We also keep a clean bucket of water at our back and front doors for local cats to have a drink of water. These are […]
Make sure tyre pressures are right. According to Beaurepairs, every 10% under the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure costs about 2.5% in extra fuel consumption.
Reduce your speed and save money. Slowing down from 110 km to 100 km will result in a 15% fuel saving, and you will avoid speeding tickets! Maniac type driving not only costs money but aggravates everyone, endangers yourself, your passengers and the public.