Reducing Petrol consumption can help lower your fuel costs. And I’m sure we don’t need more persuasion to retain more money in our pockets as Singaporeans. So let’s jump into it.. Now!

1. Drive at the correct speed

More than 50% of your engine’s power is used to overcome aerodynamic drag (air resistance). Since fuel is burnt more rapidly at speeds above 90km/h, as a rough gauge, traveling at 90km/h on the expressway would not only be safer, it keeps the cops away and helps you save money. Imagine… your car burns 15% more fuel at 100km/h, and 25% more fuel at 110km/h than at 90km/h. Perhaps the speed limits make some sense after all…

2. Maintain correct tire pressure

Deflated tires generate excessive heat, wears out faster and increases rolling resistance (= more fuel consumed). However do not over-inflate as this might reduce the tire’s “grip” on the road, causing potential danger if you need to do an emergency brake. Checking the tire pressure every 1-2 weeks will help ensure a smooth, safe ride. You can read the recommended tire pressure on the side of your tire printed by the manufacturer.

3. Watch your engine’s RPM

Your car’s engine runs most efficiently between around 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Therefore shift gears as soon as possible, before your engine reaches 2,500 rpm. On auto-transmission cars, you can always switch to “economy” mode and avoid stepping too hard on the gas. In this way, the transmission will shift gears faster and the gradual acceleration will ensure that less gas is burnt.

4. Unload unnecessary stuff from your car

Fact: Every additional 50kg load added in your car increases fuel consumption by two per cent. So avoid carrying unnecessary stuff in your car.

5. Drive smoothly

Another fact: You’ll use up to six times more fuel to move a car from a dead stop. Therefore anticipate the traffic ahead and avoid bringing your car to a complete stop. Also, you can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent if you do not brake or accelerate unnecessarily. Avoid following another vehicle too closely – this alone will help you avoid 90% of all unnecessary brakes and hard accelerations.

6. Clean your air filter regularly
Clogged air filters can increase fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent. These airflow resistance promotes incomplete combustion and this cause the efficiency of your engine to go down — way down. So clean up or service your air filters when it’s time to.

7. Switch off your engine when not in use

We often like to leave our engines idling while waiting for passengers or to make an emergency phone call at the side of the road. However if you leave your engine idling for more than a minute, it consumes much more fuel than restarting (your engine). Contrary to popular belief, the increased wear and tear from this practice is negligible.

So follow these simple steps and you’ll see your petrol consumption fall and your fuel efficiency increase.

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Understanding your car insurance (Singapore) premiums can be quite a baffling thing. Numerous drivers have questioned about their car insurance premiums and yet have little understanding on how it all works.

This post give readers an insight on how car insurance companies in Singapore price their premiums – a real insider’s guide to the inner mechanism of how it works.

Car insurance premium is derived based on a Points System that takes mainly the following 2 categories of factors into consideration:

Category #1: Characteristics of Driver (Insured)

a) Age of Driver. Here’s the age group that most companies use and how much it affects your premiums:

18 to 21 yrs old — $$$$
22 to 25 yrs old — $$$
26 to 30 yrs old — $$
31 to 65 yrs old — $

b) Gender & Marital Status. Generally cheaper for females as compared to males; cheaper for married compared to singles.

c) Driving Experience. Calculated from the time you got your driving license, not your actual driving experience:

0 to 1 yrs experience — $$$$
1 to 2 yrs experience — $$$
2 to 4 yrs experience — $$
> 4 yrs experience — $

d) Job Nature (Indoor/Outdoor). Self-Explanatory.

Indoor – $
Outdoor – $$

e) No Claims Discount (NCD) – aka No Claims Bonus (NCB). This is the premium discount you can enjoy if you have not made claims with your insurance company

You get 10% NCD each year if you don’t make any claims during your policy year. Your NCB can accumulate up to 50% max.

For example, if your auto insurance is $1,000 and your NCD is 20%, the actual premium you’ll have to pay is $800.

If a claim is made during a policy year while you are still enjoying NCD, the NCD will be reduced the next time you renew your motor insurance.

f) Certificate of Merit Discount. A 5% discount is awarded to you (after deduction of NCD, if any) if you have NO traffic offense / demerit point(s) in the past 3 years.

Category #2: Characteristics of Vehicle

g) Engine Capacity (cc) & Engine Type. The lower the engine capacity, the lower your premium. Engine type refers to Normal or Turbo engine – obviously the turbo engine is going to be charged more.

h) Year of Manufacture. This generally means the year which your car is made/register.

i) Body Type. This refers to the type of car, eg. saloon, MPV, SUV, etc. Company usually charge more for unusual types of vehicle.

j) Off Peak Car (OPC). Generally, insurers tend to offer a slight discount for OPC.

Most car insurance (Singapore) quotations are valid only for 14 days, some for 30 days. And the price of car insurance premium change frequently – some people believe that it changes every 6-12 months. Therefore while Company X may offer the best deal this year, Company Y may be more competitive the next year.

This implies that you may have to compare different insurers’ quotes each time you renew your car insurance. You should get a good deal after comparing at least 6-7 companies. Of course, if you want the cheapest of all you’ll have to look for quotes from all the 20++ motor insurance companies in Singapore – and not all of them are good, really. In fact only some are worth looking at.

To compare several quotes, you can take 3 mins to fill in the form at Motor Insurance Singapore.

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Have you ever wondered if your motor insurance is still effective as you drive up North into Malaysia for a road trip?

The fact is that your motor car insurance policy is effective within Singapore, West Malaysia and even parts of Thailand, within 50 miles of the border between Thailand and West Malaysia. That’s how far motor insurers in Singapore cover you.

Therefore your insurer will bear the risk of any losses or damages or liabilities incurred within the above boundaries.

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In the old days (before Sep 1989), insurance premiums were derived using a standard table provided by the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA). This table is known as a Motor Tariffs Table.
Under this system, factors such as the ones below were used as a basis for computation:

- Type of Cover,

- Engine Capacity,

- Carrying capacity of Vehicle,

- Car usage, and

- Value of vehicle

After that, the Motor Tariffs Table evolved into the Points Rating System. The major difference between these two systems is that the Points Rating System takes into consideration the characteristics of the driver – age, marital status, indoor/outdoor job, et cetera.

Then in Jul 2001, the GIA formed a Motor Insurance Task Force (MITF), which promulgated a Risk Factor Premium Rating System, improving upon the previous system.

Under this system, points are awarded to various risk factors, based on the industry or insurer’s own risk profile and claims experience.

This means that if there’re lots of people who’re making claims against a particular insurer compared to the other insurers, this insurer will tend to (or rather…have to) charge higher premiums so as to conform to the Risk Factor Premium Rating System. And of course this REALLY makes sense for this particular insurance company’s financial health as well.

Enough of the insurers. Now, let’s talk about you…

What does the above information mean to you?

It implies that even though you have submitted the exact same information to different insurers, the premiums that you’re charged for your auto insurance WILL be different. This is because the points that you’re awarded (internally) by the insurers will be different, due to the company’s own risk profile and claims experience.

Therefore the only logical action that you HAVE to take is to compare several different quotes from different established and reputable auto insurance companies. You’ll thus be able to tell which motor car insurance company gives you the best deal.

Of course it’s a great hassle to do so, but it’s well worth it. And you don’t have to do it yourself if you have a car insurance quote comparison service working for you.

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First, let’s look at why the MIB was set up. Its main purpose is to handle motor claims in cases where (1) the negligent driver cannot be traced/located, (2) the negligent driver possess an invalid motor car insurance policy, or (3) the negligent driver is not covered by any auto insurance at all.

Under the above situation, the MIB will seek to compensate the third party (victim) for any bodily injuries or death. Unfortunately damages to anything other than death and bodily injuries (take for example, property damages) are not claimable from the MIB.

To undertake this public responsibility, the MIB is funded by a small contribution (levy) paid by its members. And all motor insurers in Singapore are (mandatory) members of the MIB, and their contribution is based in proportion to the motor insurance premium income they earn.

This is a little known information although it’s being taught to all drivers during driving theory lessons. Little known, yet it may be useful. You never know – you may be able to help a helpless soul with this information some day in the future.

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