With the cost-of-living crisis showing no signs of slowing down, and the prices at the pumps regularly reaching new records, we’ve pulled together seven tips for drivers to help make motoring a little more affordable.

1. Accelerate more effectively

While we all like to put our foot down every now and again, efficient acceleration is about keeping your engine revs as low as possible. This mean changing gear early and often.

2. Check your roof

It’s an obvious one, but roof racks and roof boxes really affect fuel economy. If you’re not using them, remember to take them off.

3. Declutter

Anything in your car that you don’t need is still adding to its weight. This doesn’t affect fuel economy significantly (unless you have a boot full of bricks!), but even small improvements can make a difference.

4. Keep an eye on tyre pressure

Underinflated tyres affect fuel economy by more than you might expect. Some studies suggest they can reduce it by as much as 10%. On top of that, they can be dangerous and they wear down more quickly.

5. Look ahead

Accelerating or breaking when you don’t need to reduces your fuel economy. Looking further ahead on the road means you can plan for what’s coming and drive more smoothly.

6. Slow down

AA figures suggest that driving at 80mph uses 25% more fuel than driving at 70mph, which itself uses 15% more than driving at 50mph. On shorter journeys, in particular, would going slower make that much difference to when you arrive?

7. Think about your aircon

On hot days, air conditioning can be one of the most attractive features of a car. But when you’re driving at lower speeds (up to around 40mph), think about opening the windows instead. At higher speeds, though, do stick with aircon, as open windows will do more to reduce your fuel economy.