Have you noticed that, despite the price of petrol and diesel having nearly doubled in the last 6 years, it seems to take just as long to fill your tank? Makes you wonder if the petrol pump maintenance people have started slowly the rate of flow from the pump, just so we are not too shocked at how little we are getting for so much these days.

Here’s another sobering thought. Whilst we tend to measure a cars fuel economy in miles per gallon, we buy it by the litre. So, do you know what a gallon of fuel costs?

Well, it’s a simple enough calculation, 1 gallon = 4.546 litres. At today’s average pump rates in the UK, which is around £1.35 a litre, a gallon is well over six quid!

So, it makes good sense to really consider how best to choose, drive and refuel your next hire car.

Here are some helpful hints.

1/ Before you choose your vehicle, calculate how many miles you will be travelling on your round trip. Then reference that against the manufacturer’s published miles per gallon or litre figures. This will give you an indication as to how much fuel you are likely to use on your trip.

2/ The manufacturer’s potential mileage figures will be based upon a ‘best-case senario’ which can mean that their figures will represent a carefully driven test drive, over normal terrain in none-to-extreme conditions. Factors which will reduce fuel economy, however, include bad weather, winding roads, hill-climbing, stop-start traffic and low gear driving. Not to mention having a lead-foot.

3/ On the other hand (or should it be foot?), factors which can help optimise fuel economy include choosing open road driving – motorways, dual carriageways, A-roads. The flatter the terrain the better. East Anglia for example, will be more a more efficient landscape than say, the Scottish highlands or Snowdonia. Also, the more driving time you spend in 4th or 5th gear, the less engine-revs you clock up. Ergo, you should use less fuel. At least, that’s the theory. The quality of your driving will always be a deciding factor.

4/ Obviously, the bigger the car engine, the more fuel it is likely to use. That said, if you’re passengers are a Sumo wrestling team, you will struggle to fit them in to a small hatch and the poor car may give up on steep inclines. So be realistic about your passenger and baggage requirements.

5/ If you have the opportunity, consider hiring a car that has a fuel economy monitor as part of the its onboard computer. You can set this to tell you how much fuel you are using per mile/kilometre depending on how well you’re driving. Mind you, one word of warning - it is inclined to make you paranoid about your driving – like having a phantom nagging mother-in-law in the back seat!

6/ Of course, a really sensible option is to consider one of the new ranges of hybrid vehicles. Not all car hire companies offer these energy-efficient vehicles and not all manufacturers make one. But hybrids do provide the opportunity to switch to ‘silent running’ on the car battery only. So, where a non-hybrid vehicle consumes more fuel in low gear situations like around-town, stop-start driving, a hybrid can run on battery only and fuel consumptions is reduced. Thus, some car-makers are claiming around 73 miles per gallon from their hybrid offerings. At around, £6.13p a gallon, that’s not bad value.

The potential downside of a hybrid is the absence of anything resembling an enjoyable driver’s drive. Or to put it another way, it’s an efficient but deathly boring way to get around. They can even look dull. So if you regard driving as a source of fun, you may wish to hire something with a bit more glamour and grunt, and ignore the extra cost at the pump.

7/ At the end of the day, it’s all down to why you need to get from A to B. Fun, necessity or business? Whatever your reason, if you’re travelling some distance, you can’t escape buying fuel at some point; even if it’s only to return your hire car to the operator with a full tank. So, where you buy your fuel does have a significant bearing on how much you pay. Generally speaking, motorway service stations have got you trapped. At least, that’s what the higher than average prices they charge suggests. Major supermarket chains tend to fight it out to be the cheapest. So, look out for they are offering at the pump. Also, the fast-disappearing local village garage struggles to keep things going these days. They will keep their prices down if they can. If given the choice, support a local garage if you can. They are usually a lot friendlier as they take your money!

8/ Lastly, don’t get too hung up on finding the cheapest fuel around. The difference between one provider and another can be negligible. So don’t risk running out of petrol just to save 60 pence on a full tank. Also, it’s a good idea to ask your car hire company to point out the nearest petrol station in preparation for your return. It is often the case that you are driving around looking for a service station just to top up the tank before handing the car back fully loaded.