How to calculate Fuel Consumption
With fuel costs constantly rising in the UK, it’s important for drivers to be aware of how much fuel their car needs. According to a new analysis from the RAC, fuel prices in the UK are rising at their fastest rate in nearly 18 years.
Calculating actual petrol mileage can also be really helpful to determine whether your car needs to be maintained/repaired or if a specific modification has altered your petrol/diesel mileage.
The problem is most people don’t know how to effectively calculate their petrol/diesel mileage ratings. Here are some very simple ways to figure out what your actual petrol/diesel mileage is. Read on.
Finding Fuel Consumption
STEP 1:
In order to find your actual mileage, the first thing you will have to do is fill up your car with petrol/diesel.
STEP 2:
Reset the trip odometer after you fill up your car with petrol/diesel. For those who are unaware where to find it, it’s a small button which can be found on the dashboard or the center console. Once you’ve found it, all you have to do is hold it down and reset it to zero. If you don’t have a trip odometer be sure to record the mileage. Thankfully, most cars do have a trip odometer that functions well, so make sure to set it to zero.
STEP 3:
Next, you just have to get in your car and drive away. Drive your car on a normal routine for a couple days, whether it’s commuting to work, picking up your children from school, going to the shopping center to buy any essentials etc. Drive your car as you normally would do, you don’t need to drive it till your tank is empty, but the more you drive on your current tank of petrol/diesel, the more accurate your calculation will be, as it will compensate for the days where you might get stuck in traffic and your mileage consumption might be greater than it should be.
STEP 4
You will need to revisit the petrol station and fill up your car with fuel again.
Remember: If you insert the pump at a slightly different angle and forget to let the pump click off on its own, then you may end up with slightly inaccurate readings.
STEP 5
Take note of how many gallons used. Once you have a full tank of petrol/diesel, write down how many gallons/litres you needed. This is your “fuel usage.”
Now it’s time to use the information you've collected and do the math!
Calculating Fuel Consumption
STEP 1:
First of all, it’s important to find the number of miles travelled. To find the number of miles travelled, you have to subtract the beginning odometer reading from the new one.
STEP 2:
To calculate your car’s fuel consumption you have to divide the miles travelled by the amounts of gallons it took to refill the tank of your car.
For example, if you drove 312 miles and you filled your car with 16 gallons of petrol/diesel (312 miles ÷ 16 gallons), your overall fuel consumption would be 19.5mpg (miles per gallon).
If you repeat this procedure on a regular basis you will be able to monitor and improve your fuel mileage.
But what about how to calculate how much driving your car will cost you?
How to calculate your rate of petrol/diesel?
After you've calculated how many miles you've driven, take that number to find out what it will cost you each time you travel.
Take the average price you usually pay at a petrol station and then, divide that number with your cars mpg.
Once you have calculated how much it costs you, you can apply that same method and price to whatever car you’re travelling in.
Knowing your cost and your cars fuel consumption can massively help reduce your expenses , which as we all know, is important when travelling long distances.
How can leasing a car help me lower my fuel consumption?
Leased cars are typically newer and more fuel-efficient than older cars. Many lease agreements require the lessee to return the car in good condition at the end of the lease term, so car manufacturers often offer the latest fuel-efficient models as part of their leasing programs. This means that you can drive a car that is more fuel-efficient than you might otherwise be able to afford.
A lease agreement with a maintainence package can help keep your car running efficiently. Regular maintenance, such as oil changes and tire rotations, can help ensure that your car is operating at its best, which can help improve your fuel consumption.
