Under-inflated tyres add to fuel bill

With motorists looking for new ways to cut their fuel bills, Kwik-Fit’s annual nationwide tyre spot check concludes that 12 million motorists could cut costs at the pump by a combined £1.4 billion in the next 12 months - simply by keeping their tyres inflated to the correct pressure. Indeed the company’s field study found that 46% of cars in the UK are driven with at least one under-inflated tyre, which according to official tests, wastes up to 8% more fuel.

Furthermore Kwik-Fit also calculates that an extra 2.2 million tonnes of carbon could enter the atmosphere this year, as a result of tyre under-inflation. That’s the equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions for Iceland.

Sadly, the figures are significantly worse than last year’s spot check when only 20% of cars were found to have an under-inflated tyre. The company blames this on a decline in fully functioning, publically available tyre gauges. Indeed a recent report from Auto Express found that over a third (39%) of service station tyre gauges are damaged, out of order, or giving incorrect readings.

David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit, commented: “It’s disappointing that, despite the extra financial pressure on motorists, this year’s spot check found that the number of underinflated tyres more than doubled in the past year. With fuel prices soaring, we hope that by showing how under-inflated tyres add to our fuel bills will provoke motorists into action. If not, then perhaps the impact on the environment will.”

Motorists that are keen to ‘drive green’ might consider Kwik-Fit’s Go Green service. Go Green only costs an extra £29 on top of a normal interim or full service. For this Kwik-Fit will also carry out a number of other important checks and enhancements and will turn your car into a green machine.

David White, continues: “Aside from increasing the amount of fuel used, under-inflated tyres can cause a blow-out – where a tyre suddenly explodes without warning. Any motorist that has had this happen to them will know it is an extremely alarming situation to be in and has the potential to cause a serious accident.”

Any motorist that is unsure about how to check tyre pressure for themselves or would like a tyre safety check is welcome to visit any of Kwik-Fit’s 670 centres nationwide, without appointment, for a free check-up.

Go Green Service Extras

Adding a fuel treatment to the tank that systematically cleans the engine and ensures it burns cleanly and efficiently.

Checking brakes are operating efficiently - minimising the amount of fuel needed to slow the car.

Checking emissions for improper gases so that they meet and exceed legal requirements for a balanced mix.

Checking that engine management system sensor for O2 is operational and sending the optimum amount of fuel to the combustion chamber.

One third (£10) of the £29 Go Green charge goes directly to carbon offsetting activity organised by the Carbon Neutral Company. One tonne of carbon by funding verified emissions reductions projects around the world. This is equivalent to 6 months or 4000 miles of average driving by the average car.

Top Driving Tips for Keeping Green

Remember, you can help reduce your carbon emissions every day by following our top tips to reduce your driving carbon footprint:

Check your tyre pressure often (or get Kwik-Fit to do it for you) – an underinflated tyre takes more petrol to roll.

Service your car annually to check that all is working efficiently and not using more fuel than necessary.

Remove any unnecessary items from your car – a heavier car (and one with a roof rack) takes more fuel to move.

Easing off the gas a little and accelerating slowly will cut fuel a lot – reducing speed from 70mph to 56mph for example, will reduce costs by one quarter.