Why Does My Car Use More Fuel In Winter? - GAP Insurance Today

This morning, you might have started up your car and driven to work as usual. If you take the same route at the same time every day, you probably have a rough picture in your head of how much fuel you will need to use. However, in cold weather, this amount can be much greater. Why does this happen, and what can you do to alleviate it?

Fuel Efficiency

Fuel economy tests show that a petrol car’s fuel efficiency can be as much as 12% less in cold temperatures. Hybrid cars can suffer even more – with a potential drop of 30% efficiency or more. This means that every mile you drive in a cold car costs you potentially much more.

Even at temperatures of around 10 Celsius, your car’s fuel efficiency will likely be up to 40% lower for its first mile. This is because cold engines use much more fuel than properly warmed up ones. Even the first 6 miles of a journey in cold weather use a higher amount of fuel than they would in a properly warmed engine.

Cold Weather Driving

The things that you need to use in your car because of the weather all also use fuel at a higher rate. De-misting your windows takes up fuel quickly. Basic air conditioning in a small car can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 10%. Equally, using the heaters, windscreen wipers and lights can increase your engine’s workload by 3%.

What Can You Do?

To some extent, higher fuel use is simply a fact of life during the winter months. However, there are certain actions you can take to limit your own fuel usage. Do as much to your car as you can without turning it on – scrape ice by hand rather than just leaving the engine on. Leave your car in the garage or somewhere warmer overnight if you can. Try to limit the shorter term trips you take, as these use the most fuel. When you do start the car, move off gently and slowly – this limits the initial use of fuel slightly.

Getting GAP Insurance is a step you can take to help protect your car. It protects the value you bought your car for in case the car has to be written off. If your insurers value your car at a lower price than you bought it for, GAP Insurance fills in the difference between the valuations.