FEBRUARY will see an increase in both petrol and diesel prices.
MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert says motorists are lately trying trending fuel-saving methods, and is urging them to avoid them.
And, fuel pills are currently popular as a method of “saving petrol”, and desperate motorists are trying them out.
According to Herbert, two problematic ingredients were found in fuel pills that not only makes them ineffective, but also potentially damaging to your vehicle. These are naphthalene and ferrocene.
“If a fuel pill contains either ingredient, there is little to no benefit and can even cause greater consumption. If you do not know what it contains, you are being taken advantage of and worse, adding potentially harmful substances to your vehicle,” Herbert said in a statement.
He added that attempts to save fuel were not limited to pills.
“Another gimmick some have tried using is Coca-Cola instead of fuel. A company associated with a viral video distanced itself because Coca-Cola is not a safe substitute for fuel. It will likely cost much more than potential improbable savings,” he added.
According to Herbert, here are some hacks to help you save petrol:
1. Watching 12 seconds ahead as you drive.
2. Reducing speed by 20km/h.
3. Use traffic apps and alerts to avoid congestion.
4. Keep RPMs around 3 000.
5. Regular maintenance.
6. Remove unnecessary items from your car.
“Techniques such as defensive driving, not speeding, anticipating traffic conditions, avoiding reckless driving and planning routes are the best way to get results. Introducing these ‘hacks’ can potentially reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%,” he added.
