Help to drive more economically
As well as the fuel you use, the condition of your car, the routes you take, and the way you drive all make a difference to your fuel economy. And little adjustments can really add up.
Here are some things we’re doing to help:
Low tyre pressure uses more fuel
Car care and maintenance is often at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list, or is something we don’t even really think about until something goes wrong. But there are lots of simple things that everyone can do that can have a big impact on your fuel economy and health of your car – for example, maintaining the correct tyre pressure.
Over half of the cars in the UK are driven with underinflated tyres, costing motorists up to one billion pounds a year1. Furthermore, recent research commissioned by Esso found that only half (52%) of Brits check their car’s tyre pressure as soon as the warning light comes on. It also found that 1 in 5 of us don’t feel confident using a tyre pump either at a service station or at home.2
Keeping your tyres inflated to the correct pressure will help you save fuel. That’s why, for the second year in a row, we’re on a mission to help UK drivers check and adjust their tyre pressure.
Find out more about tyre pressureFree Fuel Saver check at Kwik Fit
If you’re not feeling confident adjusting your car’s tyre pressure, we’ve teamed up with Kwik Fit to offer Esso customers an exclusive free Fuel Saver check at any Kwik Fit centre. A professional Kwik Fit mechanic will check your tyres and inflate them to the correct pressure. They will also check your oil level and top it up with Mobil oil, if needed, to help your fuel go further. Visit your nearest Esso to book your free Fuel Saver Check.
Book nowRED driving school
As RED Driver Training’s fuel partner of choice, we’re on a mission together to power fuel efficient driving around the UK and beyond. RED estimates that drivers can make a yearly saving of £250 on fuel when integrating effective driving techniques in their day-to-day journeys, based on an average of 10,000 miles driven per year.
Putting their techniques to the test, we challenged eight of RED’s top driving instructors to take part in the Esso Fuel Efficient Driving Challenge, joined by triple Guinness World Record holder for lowest energy consumption driving, Kevin Booker.
The mission was simple – who could achieve the lowest overall miles per gallon (MPG) whilst driving the same car and route? The driving instructors achieved an incredible average of 57.5 MPG which is over 19% higher than the MPG achieved by regular drivers on the same route (48.2 MPG). Hypermiling legend Kevin Booker achieved a huge 26% improvement on the average driver, averaging at 65.6 MPG.
Kickstart your fuel efficient driving journey today with our free Fuel Efficient Driving Digital Course. The interactive course will guide you through key steps when it comes to getting the most from your fuel, helping you reduce overall emissions.
Take the courseEsso and Oracle Red Bull Racing Fuel Efficiency Challenge
If anyone knows how to make every drop of fuel count it's Max Verstappen and the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team.
We got Max to challenge Red Bull mountain bike athlete Matt Jones to see who is the most economical driver.
As well as having a lot of fun along the way, the aim was to test some of our driving tips and get some inside tricks from the masters of fuel economy.
Here’s a thought
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Keeping your car topped up with the right engine oil doesn’t just protect your engine from damage, but also reduces your fuel consumption.
Did you know that Mobil 1 ESP X2 0W-20 helps provide up to a 4% fuel efficiency improvement6, equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions associated with charging over 23,000 smartphones7.
Find out more about our Mobil 1 energy efficient engine oils, and don’t forget to check out our free Fuel Saver Check available to Esso customers at Kwik Fit.
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The temptation to turn on the air conditioning on a warm day is almost irresistible. But reducing the use of air conditioning (and heating) means reducing fuel consumption. Try to use it only when you can't do without it.
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Drivers waste an average of 44 hours a year searching for a parking space. Using parking apps can help save you time and fuel.8
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The heavier your car is the more fuel you’ll use. Make sure you’re not carrying around any weight you don’t need to be.
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The worst conditions for driving economically are when you’re in a rush, when you’re not exactly sure where you’re going, or when you’re having to change your plans on the go. Use a journey planner to help schedule your journey and help beat the rush.
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The harder you push your engine, the more fuel is consumed. Accelerating gradually means less engine strain and less fuel used.
Driving at constant, steady speeds and avoiding heavy traffic can save you fuel and reduce the impact of your journey – we all hate stop-start journeys!
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Remember, gears are for going and brakes are for slowing. Better use of gears means less revving and fussing with unnecessary gear changes. Drivers will not only reduce fuel consumption, but also cut down wear and tear.
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Always try to reverse into a parking space so you can drive straight out. This is because manoeuvring while the engine is cold uses more fuel.
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Take the opportunity to look further ahead, ideally at the horizon. And scan for possible hazards that’ll cause you to slow down. Reading the road ahead will help you maintain a steady speed and avoid harsh braking.
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Sign up nowMore about Thoughtful Driving
2 Censuswide Consumer Research commissioned by Esso in October 2022. Survey of 2,000, aged 18+, holding valid UK drivers licence and own a car.
3 The Esso research was conducted in partnership with Censuswide. The sample size was 3,000 UK drivers. UK drivers are defined by the following: 18+ year old driver licence holders who have driven a motorised vehicle (car) within the last 12 months. The survey ran between May 9th and 12th, 2022.
4 35.9 million people hold a car driving licence in England. Source: National Travel Survey: England 2020 and Table NTS0201
5 As of 2 April 2022, the number of GB driver records which show a driving test pass date before 1 January 2008 was 22,907,984. This figure includes both group 1 (cars/motorcycles) and group 2 (lorries/buses) driving entitlement. Source: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
6 Compared with Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30; Actual savings are dependent upon vehicle and engine type, outside temperature and barometric pressure, driving conditions and your current engine oil viscosity
7 Assumes 11,507 miles/yr, 21.7 mpg fuel average, and 4% fuel economy improvement; using US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
8 https://inrix.com/press-releases/parking-pain-uk/