Are you feeling the constant pinch from the high petrol prices in Singapore? There are several ways to reduce your petrol expenses without sacrificing convenience or mobility.
With some simple tips and a bit of effort, you can save money on your daily commute and keep more cash in your pocket.
If you’re looking for up-to-date fuel prices in Singapore, you can find them all at our Singapore Fuel Prices Watch page. Here, you can compare petrol prices at multiple petrol stations so you can get the best price for your next tank!
Now, let’s take a look at some of the simple but effective ways to save petrol and money.
Table of Contents
1. Plan your route to save time and fuel
One effective way to save money on petrol prices in Singapore is to plan your route for maximum efficiency.
Try to avoid traffic-heavy areas or routes that are longer than necessary. You can use tools like Google Maps or Waze to plan your route ahead of time and avoid unnecessary detours or backtracking.
This not only saves you time but also reduces the amount of fuel you need for your journey, keeping more money in your wallet.
2. Use a fuel-efficient vehicle and maintain it regularly
Investing in a fuel-efficient vehicle is a surefire way to save money on petrol prices over time. Consider purchasing a car with higher L/100KM ratings or that operates on alternative fuels like electricity or hybrid technology.
Once you have your car, be sure to maintain it regularly, ensuring that its performance remains optimised for fuel efficiency.
Regular maintenance includes routine checks and changes of filters and fluids, proper tire inflation, and tuning up the engine according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Keeping your car well-maintained can not only save you money on petrol but also limit the risk of unexpected breakdowns and repairs.
Generally, 5-8 litres per 100km (20 km – 12.5 km per litre) is considered to be good, 8-12 litres per 100 km (12.5 km- 8.3 km per litre) is average, and anything more than 12 litres per 100 km (8.3 km per litre) would be considered relatively poor.
Additionally, your driving habits and the size of the engine impact how efficiently your vehicle will use its fuel, so keep that in mind when looking for the perfect car.
3. Keep your tires properly inflated for better mileage
One of the simplest and most effective ways to save money on petrol is by ensuring that your car’s tires are properly inflated.
When tires aren’t inflated enough, more energy is required to keep the vehicle moving, which in turn requires more fuel consumption.
Underinflated tires can decrease fuel efficiency by up to 3%, while over-inflated tires can decrease it by up to 0.2%.
To optimise your car’s fuel efficiency, regularly check your tire pressure at least once a month or before going on long trips.
4. Use thinner tyres
Reducing your car’s fuel consumption can be achieved by fitting tyres of a thinner width. This will improve your car’s handling, as well as providing less rolling resistance, therefore reducing fuel usage.
These thinner tyres may affect the road handling of your vehicle, so it is important to choose wisely in order to obtain the desired effect.
5. Avoid idling for too long
Idling your car for too long not only wastes fuel but also harms the environment. The amount of fuel consumed when idling varies based on the size of your engine, but in general, you can expect to burn about 2 litres of gasoline per hour.
This means that even a five-minute idle time can use up as much fuel as driving one kilometre.
Idling for more than a minute can consume more fuel than simply restarting the engine. If you are waiting for someone or something and will be stationary for more than a minute, it’s best to turn off your engine to save fuel and reduce your carbon footprint.
6. Use air conditioning sparingly to reduce fuel consumption
To reduce fuel consumption, car drivers can switch off their air conditioner at lower speeds since this can use up to 10% more fuel. Consider opening the windows instead of using a sunshade to reduce the amount of heat entering the vehicle.
However, when driving faster than 80 km/h, using the air conditioner is recommended for better fuel economy than driving with an open window.
Additionally, it’s important to regularly maintain your car’s air conditioning system by replacing filters and getting it serviced at a car service workshop, as a poorly functioning system can consume much more fuel than a well-maintained one.
By following these tips, you can save money on petrol expenses in Singapore while still enjoying a comfortable ride.
7. Don’t drive too fast or too slow
If you want to reduce your car’s fuel consumption, one of the most effective ways is to drive at a speed within the safe speed limit.
Driving above 90km/h will significantly increase fuel consumption as 50% of the power produced by the engine is used to overcome aerodynamic drag.
Whilst driving slower than 50km/h can reduce fuel efficiency too. To maintain a safe level of fuel economy and safety, it’s wise to stick within the recommended speed limit.
8. Anticipate traffic conditions
If you want to reduce fuel consumption on the road, one of the best things you can do is to adjust your speed in anticipation of traffic conditions and avoid tailgating.
Try your best to accelerate and decelerate gradually, as sudden acceleration and braking can waste fuel. Additionally, it takes a lot less energy to keep a car moving at a few kilometers an hour than to start from a dead stop.
By planning ahead and driving more efficiently, you could save up to 10% on fuel costs while avoiding possible accidents and traffic offences.
9. Lighten up
Reducing your car’s fuel consumption starts with avoiding any unnecessary load. Every additional 50kg of weight in your car will contribute to increasing its fuel consumption by 2 percent, so make sure you remove anything that you don’t need from your vehicle to save on gas.
10. Avoid sudden acceleration
To reduce fuel consumption, drive at a moderate speed of around 90km/h and accelerate gradually and smoothly.
Avoiding hard acceleration will prevent the engine from going into a “fuel-enrichment” mode that uses more fuel, and using cruise control helps to keep your speed consistent.
Choosing these practices can help you save money on petrol costs and reduce your environmental impact.
11. Choose your fuel and consider fuel additives
Follow the fuel grade recommendation from your car’s manufacturer so you don’t spend on higher grade petrol unnecessary.
You can also consider using fuel additives once or twice a year if your car is more than 10 years old. Fuel additives help to remove built-up carbon deposits and other impurities in your engine.
However, bear in mind that it takes several tanks of treated fuel before most additives start showing any noticeable improvement in your vehicle’s performance.
12. Use credit cards with petrol discounts
One smart way to save on petrol prices is to use a petrol credit card. Many of these cards provide discounts ranging from 15-25% off every fuel purchase. By taking advantage of this, you can see significant savings over the long run!
95-Octane vs 98-Octane: Which petrol to choose?
When it comes to fuelling your car, are you wondering if it really makes a difference whether you use premium or regular petrol? The main difference between premium and regular petrol is that premium petrol has a higher octane rating than regular petrol.
This higher octane rating reduces the risk of engine knocking or pre-ignition which can cause engine damage. Therefore, if your car’s manufacturer recommends using premium fuel, it is probably in your best interests to use it.
95 vs 98 Petrol: Which is better for power
The type of petrol your vehicle needs depends on the engine performance. If you have a high-performance engine, 98 petrol is recommended as it can withstand very high temperatures and pressures, allowing the engine to maximise its power output.
On the other hand, for normal-performance vehicles, 95 petrol will do as it does not need to withstand high pressure or temperature conditions.
When it comes to power, premium petrol will not give additional power for normal engine but is necessary for a turbocharged engine and high-performance engine to run at full power and extract maximum power from the fuel.
95 vs 98 Petrol: Which is better for engine protection
If you’re wondering which petrol to use for your new or second-hand car, it’s important to look at the differences between 95 and 98 petrol.
The main factor is ‘knock’ resistance. Simply put, ‘knock’ occurs when the petrol inside your engine is unable to withstand the pressurised environment, which can cause pinging or knocking sounds in your engine.
While this may not be a huge issue if it only happens once or twice, sustained knocking over time can lead to serious damage. Since 98 petrol is more stable and resistant to ‘knocking’, it is the best option when considering protection for your engine.
95 petrol works too but 95 may not be able to resist higher pressures as powerfully as 98 so investing in 98 is your safest bet and will save you additional costs associated with expensive engine repairs down the line.
95 vs 98 Petrol: Which is better for mileage
When it comes to choosing the right petrol for your car, you may be tempted to use premium petrol thinking that it will last longer and save you more money in the long term.
However, this idea does not always stand true as, although 98 petrol is less likely to cause uncontrolled combustion, the difference in mileage between 95 and 98 petrol is usually very small.
Some drivers have claimed better mileage with 98 petrol but this could be due to their vehicle’s engine and driving habits rather than just the fuel itself. Therefore, while 98 petrol can give slightly better performance and fuel economy, it may not always be worth shelling out extra money for it.
95 vs 98 Petrol: Which is better for environmental impact
So what type of fuel should you put in your car in order to be more environmentally friendly? The answer depends on the engine.
Higher-performing engines require 98 octane “premium” petrol for optimum efficiency, while using this kind of fuel in a normal-performance engine can actually be less efficient.
To ensure maximum efficiency and environmental friendliness, it’s best to stick with the fuel recommended by your vehicle manufacturer for your specific engine type.
So which fuel is better?
Generally, 98-Octane fuel is more fuel efficient and provides greater engine protection if your car is capable of running on that grade of petrol. If your car has a high-performance engine, it won’t reach its full potential when running on 95-Octane petrol, as this can result in incomplete combustion.
However, regular performing engines will be equally effective when running on either grade of petrol. It’s also important to remember that drivers should practice safe and responsible driving habits for the best fuel efficiency.
Need to switch to something with lower fuel consumption? Selling your car doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Carsnap simplifies the process and gets you the best offer in no time!
Is it worth putting 98 octane fuel in your car?
It could produce increased performance and power compared to lower octane petrol, but only if your vehicle is tuned specifically to use it. If you’re driving an older car, then you probably won’t see any tangible benefits from using the higher octane fuel.
What happens if I use 98 octane instead of 95?
Using a higher octane fuel in an engine designed for 95 octane is safe and won’t hurt the engine. However, using a lower octane fuel than the one recommended by the manufacturer can be damaging to your engine.
How can I save on fuel in Singapore?
The key to saving fuel in Singapore is to drive as smoothly as possible and avoid sudden acceleration, braking and steering movements. This can help activate the fuel cut-off switch in a fuel injection engine which automatically reduces the amount of fuel used. Additionally, try to remain in gear when slowing down for increased efficiency.
Which petrol brand is the best in Singapore?
Selecting the best petrol brand in Singapore mostly depends on a driver’s preference and budget. Generally, all petrol is composed of similar hydrocarbons which can be used as fuel and refineries usually produce more or less the same mix. The difference between brands like Shell and Esso mainly lies with their added additives which generally provide additional engine maintenance benefits.
