Your tyres could be hurting your wallet and your health

For many people, buying tyres is just a case of picking the cheapest ones or opting for the first one your garage has to hand. However, you could be needlessly wasting money and impacting the environment in a big way by not choosing the ‘right’ tyres.

Motokiki, the UK’s first truly independent tyre comparison website, highlights that choosing the most fuel efficient tyres could save UK motorists over £120 per year in fuel costs.

According to the European Commission’s consumer guide to tyres, motorists can increase fuel efficiency of up to 9% if they use the highest rated fuel efficient tyres compared with the lowest rated.

Most people aren’t aware that every new tyre comes with a label (example below) clearly showing the different features of the tyre and includes information on fuel efficiency, noise levels and water displacement. But the labels are often ignored, meaning drivers are unaware of the very real difference the most fuel efficient tyres can make to the overall cost of running a car.

With UK motorists driving an estimated 7,100 miles on average per year, Motokiki has calculated that if a driver is using A-rated fuel efficient tyres, it could save them more than £120 in fuel costs.

To help people understand the cost of tyres with low fuel efficiency, below is a table detailing the approximate costs and savings for three different yearly mileage brackets using Nokian Tyres’ guide:

Debra Williams, Founder and CEO of Motokiki said: “For most drivers, checking the fuel efficiency of their tyres is an afterthought, but tyres account for up to 30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption, which means that choosing inefficient tyres could cost over £120 per year in additional fuel costs.

Environmental impact

“Aside from the personal savings aspect, tyres have other major impacts that buyers may not be aware of. The impact on the environment from lower grade tyres is astronomical. Unfortunately, the transport sector is still the only major industry in Europe that has seen a continued rise in greenhouse emissions.”

Research indicates that if ‘A’ rated tyres were used across the EU, CO2 emissions would potentially be reduced by up to 42Mton per year, corresponding to savings of approximately €13billion across the EU.

“Air pollution is regarded as the most dangerous environmental health risk in Europe and results in approximately 400,000 deaths per year. The industry and consumers alike need to be aware of the impact tyres may have on our health,” Debra added.

Other fuel saving tips:

• Check the pressure of tyres monthly – having a low tyre pressure will decrease your fuel efficiency noticeably
• Shop around for fuel prices – you may find that the station one mile further from you is cheaper!
• Car maintenance – check that your wheels are aligned with your garage, misalignment can cause your fuel efficiency to drop
• Reduce car load – get rid of any unneeded items that may cause the weight of the car to increase, it will make your fuel drain quickly
• Go easy on the gas – braking sharply and accelerating quickly can drain your fuel efficiency by up to 30%