Drivers urged to park in specific spot today to slash car costs

Temperatures are set to soar today as the UK basks in a mini-heatwave after a long and overcast winter. According to the Met Office, the likes of London could be sweltering in 27C temperatures.

As the mercury rises, it isn’t just people that might get hot under the collar, but their cars too. When temperatures rise or fall, the efficiency of one’s car also changes.

As a result, it’s important to keep vehicles in top condition to maintain maximum efficiency to save as much money as possible.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Managing Director at Dayinsure Nicholas Shaw provided his five best tips for how drivers can save money during this brief spell of hot weather.

Air conditioning can sap a lot of efficiency and miles per gallon from a vehicle given how much power some units need to generate cool air. So another tip Nicholas gave is to keep windows open.

He said: "Again, avoiding using air conditioning will help with your fuel efficiency. Ventilation is the key to cooling down your vehicle and your passengers, so if you are driving at a slower speed, keeping your windows open is the best option during the hotter months."

Nicholas continued: “To improve comfort and efficiency, it's better to turn on the AC right away and let the system cool the air gradually, rather than waiting too long.

“If the car is very hot, consider briefly opening the windows to let out some of the heated air before activating the AC. However, the best approach can depend on the age of your car.

“For older cars, the AC system may take longer to cool, and it might be more energy-efficient to let the car run for a minute or so before turning on the AC, or to cool the car down by briefly opening the windows to let out the hot air first.”

His fourth piece of advice involves deploying sunshades on all the car’s windows to create the same effect of being parked in a shaded area. However, if someone doesn’t want to pay for bespoke shades he said “you can actually use towels or cardboard”.

Nicholas’ final tip was to make sure that the pressures in all four of the cars tyres are right. He explained: “Maintaining your tyre pressure doesn't directly "cool" down your car, but it can help to prevent your car from overheating.

“Overinflating or underinflating your tyres can cause excess heat and prevent optimal contact with the road, increasing friction and heat.”