Save on petrol costs

I'll start off my saying that I own a Hybrid, a Honda Civic that is 2 years old now. My average fuel consumption over that time is 6.3litres/100kms. A tank normally takes me 630kms and I fill up before I'm bone dry. The Civic has stop/start technology so the engine stops when I'm at a full stop at lights and intersections. I chose the Civic because my route to work takes me over 2 good size hills and a mountain (by Australian standards anyway) and the petrol engine with electric assist really helps going up the hills, and the downhill runs recharge the battery. The hybrid has an excellent display about my l/kms that tells what is happening based on my driving habits, and when I'm using the electric motor or charging it.

The hybrid aside, the things that have a noticeable impact on the l/kms reading include:

• speed of take off from traffic lights, the slower/smoother the better
• coasting down hills rather than using the accelerator to meet the speed limit
• increasing the tyre pressure to the standard printed on tyres, and keeping them there
• limiting the number of people/objects in the car - weight in the car plays a big part in efficiency
• 100-110km/hr on freeways, going up to 120 increases fuel consumption
• watching the traffic signals ahead and slowing down by taking your foot off the accelerator well prior to slow down naturally rather than needing to brake closer to the lights (but don't annoy other motorists around you) 
• matching the speed of cars around you when practical, weaving in and out of traffic and accelerating to overtake are real fuel wasters. Leave earlier so you aren't in a hurry if it really bothers you
• playing calming music on the radio/iPod, relaxed driving makes a difference
• short trips around town are killers for fuel efficiency, the longer the trip, the better
• if you have a fuel efficiency gauge that shows what happens as you are driving, set it so you can see it as you are driving as default and watch it closely.

Saving of fuel costs at the pump:

• I use E10 unleaded petrol/ethanol mix, its even recommended by Honda for my car. $0.04 per litre off normal price (I think)
• I have an Everyday Rewards card from Woolworths, and even though most of my shopping is at Aldi, I do buy pet food, coffee for work and some of my preferred name brand groceries/specials from there once or twice a month. I make sure I stock up and pay just over $30 per shop to get the fuel discount. 
• Fill up in the mornings when the car and service stations are still cold and vapours haven't expanded in the tanks
• Fill up on slowest setting to stop vapours you are paying for drawing back into the hose
• Fill up when half full so there is less air in the car fuel tank

Free petrol:

• Link the Everyday Rewards to QANTAS Frequent Flyer membership (for free QFF membership when done this way)
• My main credit card used for bill paying is also linked to QFF membership (ANZ)
  (NB. I keep the money for bills in my home loan as redraw so it isn't really credit, but using the interest fee period and rewards points accumulation to my advantage saving interest on home loan, paying no interest on credit card by paying it off in full each month, and having a credit card limit that matches what you can afford as a monthly budget)
• Redeem points in QFF store for a Woolworths Petrol fuel card. The Woolworths discounts will no longer apply, but its free petrol.
• 14,500 points gets you a $100 fuel voucher - it takes me about 5 months to earn that, and $100 fuel lasts about a month in my car.

Happy motoring!