Not all park home residents run a car, but for those that do, here are some great tips to help you save on your motoring expenses...

After more than a century where mass-market motoring changed relatively little, the car industry is now going through major changes, with the likes of hybrid cars and electric cars now presenting a challenge to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. For those in the market for a new car, this has lead to increased uncertainty about what type of car to buy, and how much to spend. However, there are some things that you can do to reduce your motoring cost, no matter what type of car you own, so here are a few ideas to think about

1 Fully inflate your car’s tyres

Did you know that a car whose tyres are under-inflated by 15psi (which you might not notice with the naked eye) can use as much as 6% more fuel than one with fully inflated tyres? Over a year that can add up to a lot of fuel. Of course it’s equally important not to over-inflate your tyres by an excess amount, as this could lead to other issues such as reduced road grip, but keeping an eye on your tyres and keeping them properly inflated to your car maker’s guidelines, could save you money.

2 Saving on insurance

To save on your motoring insurance costs once you have bought your car, always check price comparison sites on the internet before you renew your car insurance each year. Quite often, when you tell your existing company that you can get insurance cheaper elsewhere, they will immediately drop their price to match, so you may not even have to change supplier to save money! If you’re over 50 years old, it may be worth getting an insurance quote from specialists who deal with older age groups, such as www.saga.co.uk.

3 Ditch excess weight

Carrying an extra 50kg of weight in your car could increase fuel consumption by two per cent. Now, we’re not suggesting that you go on a diet before you next go for a drive, but it’s certainly worth clearing out any junk. It’s also recommended that you remove any roof bars or roof racks when not using them, as the air drag on these can also increase fuel consumption. Sceptical? Just think of those racing drivers who strip out passenger seats, trim and carpet just to save weight!

4 Economical driving style
Your driving style alone can make a big difference to the running costs of your car. Drive smoothly, allowing the car to drift to a stop in traffic (when it’s safe to do so) rather than breaking hard, plus accelerate gently, changing-up gears as soon as you can to keep the revs down. Not only will this style of driving save you on fuel, it will also cut down on the wear on your brake pads and tyres, making an additional saving.

5 Look into car sharing
With the close communities on many park home sites, it may even be worth thinking about car sharing. Perhaps you and a neighbour can share the use of one car, instead of having one each? Or, perhaps you can come to an agreement with a car-owning neighbour who is happy to drive you out for your weekly shopping trip, in return for a small fee and some cash towards fuel and running costs, so you then don’t need your own car?