Save fuel in the UK — eco-driving techniques, MPG explained, fuel-saving tips, most efficient used cars, and fuel cards.
Check any UK car before you buy — free.
The miles-per-gallon figure in a car's specification is a laboratory result, produced under the same test cycle for every car so that buyers can compare like with like. It is a fair comparison tool and a poor forecast of your own fuel bill, which depends on your routes, your speed, what is on the roof and how often the engine starts cold.
These guides explain the official test, why real-world consumption differs from it, and what the official driving guidance says actually saves fuel, with the figures quoted from the Vehicle Certification Agency and GOV.UK rather than from folklore. They also cover the practical habits that cost nothing: measuring your own tanks, checking tyre pressures and taking the roof box off after the holiday.
For a used car, the mileage record matters as much as the headline figure. A car that has done its miles on the motorway has usually been kinder to itself than one with the same total in town, and the mileage at every MOT since 2005 is public. Our free car check shows that history for any UK registration.
Check any UK car before you buy — free.