Generally considered as the “black month” of finances, many Brits approach January with caution. After the festive and New Year period most are left desperately attempting to save money.

On top of these timely woes, UK drivers are feeling the pinch of soaring fuel prices. Over the last 5 years UK motorists have seen an increase of 71% in the price of petrol, as the price per litre has risen from 69.9p in 2002 to the current £1.01. The price of diesel is also on the move, now pushing past £1.05 per litre in many areas.

With these costs continuing to spiral upwards is there anything you can do to ease the pain?

According to online insurance broker motorinsurance.co.uk there are a number of tactics that all drivers can employ in order to help drive down their average spend on fuel:

• One of the simplest ways to reduce your fuel consumption is to open a car window instead of turning on your air conditioning. Not only will you reduce costs, but you will also get a breath of fresh air.
• Make sure that you regularly check your tyre pressure; it’s widely reported that for every pound per square inch (PSI) that your tyres are under inflated, your fuel consumption rises by 0.4%.
• Remove an empty roof rack. An unused roof rack will cause more air resistance making your car work harder.
• Travel light by shifting unnecessary items from your car. For every extra 45kg you carry, that’s equal to 45 bags of sugar, you will use up to 2% more fuel.
• Aggressive driving – accelerating and braking hard uses more fuel. Stick to the speed limit, as engines are much more efficient at lower speeds and you’ll also avoid any unnecessary speeding fines!
• Garages also recommend that you change your air filter every 20,000 miles. Replacing it with a new one could save you up to 10% more fuel.

Paul Cosh, managing director for motorinsurance.co.uk, comments: “Whilst the cost of fuel seems to be out of motorists’ control, it’s comforting for drivers to know that there are a number of practical tips which are genuinely effective in helping to reduce the cost of driving. Motorists using these tips can at least be safe in the knowledge that they are making their money travel the furthest it possibly can.”