How to lower your petrol costs!
DIscounts on your Petrol
1. Diners Club Gas Card
Diners Club are currently offering 5% off your Petrol Bill & instore purchases if you sign up to the Diners Club Gasoline Alley Credit Card. Read on to find out more:
As you can see it is only available for Gasoline Alley petrol stations which are in fewer locations than the major petrol companies.
Here's how it works:
When you fill up at a Gasoline Alley petrol stations, Diners Club will give you a 5% refund off the petrol on your credit card bill.
(Remember you don't get this immediately at the check out. The 5% off is applied to your petrol on your next credit card bill)
Diners Club Card isn't as widely accepted as Visa, but is fee free for the first year (so you save on your annual fee). There after it is $68/yr.
Go to
Gasoline Alley Diners Club Card
Other Options:
You get 4c off petrol when you spend over $40 at the supermarkets.
At times they have specials on over weekends where they offer 10c/litre off if you spend over $100.
Please tell us at our forum if you hear this is coming up.
2. Servo SaversThey claim to offer from 6c to 30c/litre off petrol if you shop at certain stores and spend set amounts of money in each transaction. We personally haven't had any experience with this company as we don't tend to shop in the limited stores that offer the deal. But if you do, ask the store if they offer the deal before spending your money.
And remember it is only a deal if you were going to spend this amount of money anyway.
To find out more check out its website:
Servosavers
Petrol Saving Ideas
Here are some fuel saving ideas to reduce your petrol consumption:
*Try to ensure you have as many people in your car as possible as this helps save the environment and if costs split between each of you can save money.
You can achieve this via Car Sharing schemes such as:
Carpool King is supposedly the No1 Carpool site in NZ!
Jayride is a site that offers services to help hook you up with other people looking to share a ride. Over 2000 members already offering over 1000 rides!
Car Share NZ Helps you find others to share you commute to work or just for a standard ride etc.
Fuel Efficient Driving
*Get the most fuel efficient car if you're thinking of changing your car soon. Check out fuel efficiency at government website: Fuelsaver
* Use A/C less
Only use air conditioning when necessary as it tends to use up to 10% more fuel.
* Slow down
Driving at 110kph uses up to 13% more fuel than 100kph. Best fuel efficiency for most cars is 90kph.
* Keep your weight down
Unnecessary weight in the vehicle increases fuel consumption, by up to 2% for every 50 kg.
* Think before you drive
Consider walking, cycling, or taking public transport before using your car. Try to plan your journey. Try to do a number of tasks at the same time so you don't have to take the car out later.
* Avoid short journeys
You use 20 percent more fuel driving when your engine is cold.
* Drive smoothly
Accelerate smoothly. Change gear early (but don’t labour the engine). If you drive an automatic, choose ‘economy’ gear switching as this will keep the engine speed down. Imaging the accelerator as a gas pedal, the harder you press the more you use.
* Look ahead
Check what’s happening ahead, maintain a safe distance and you’ll keep at a more constant speed. This way you reduce the amount of breaking
* Reduce idling time
If you’re going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds, switch your engine off. It saves fuel if you stop for longer than this.
* Keep your car maintained
Keeping your tyres at the right pressure (you can use up to 5% more fuel if the pressure is too low), check your wheel alignment, engine timing, air filter and spark plugs regularly.
* Avoid Rush Hour Its so much busier and you're likely to be idling in traffic using up valuable fuel
Other Options for saving petrol & the environment
Use the bus if possible (you can read on the way to work & less stressful than driving)
Walk: to be slim & fit, walk to shops or work
Cycle:
* It saves you time if you in a busy city (you can frequently get round quicker & you save on parking & can frequently lock up bike outside work)
* healthy for you
* you can even cycle to train if living in Auckland & cycle at end
* cycle to gym (why drive if you are going to the gym)
Car
* Share a lift with work colleagues or others eg Car Share NZ or Jayride (See Links to these sites above)
School
* Setup a walking bus to school where 2 or 3 parents can walk a number of children to school. Saves you all driving to school, clogging roads & saving fuel & is healthy for you. If problems with carrying all the bags can use a trolley to carry these if the children can't carry them. You can draw up a rota so that you even have days off the school run!
* Walking to school for older children
Coaches
* You can look at travel deals for cheap coach options and helps the environment.