Does tyre pressure affect fuel consumption?

Yes, the pressure of your tyres can make a difference to your fuel consumption. Keeping your tyres at the recommended pressure is one of the most effective ways to reduce everyday fuel expenditure.

At a time when the cost of living keeps rising to new heights, anything that can help to reduce bills is worth exploring. So, here's our quick Halfords guide to the link between tyre pressure and fuel efficiency.

Why do underinflated tyres increase fuel usage?

No tyre is completely airtight. Tyres naturally start to lose air pressure as soon as they've been inflated—at an estimated rate of two pounds per square inch (PSI) per month. The average recommended pressure for most tyres is around 30 PSI, so each tyre could be 10% or more below its correct level after just a few weeks.

You won't notice a visible difference if this happens, because tyres typically don't appear 'flat', even if the air pressure is 25% too low. But you will feel a difference in the driving experience, with heavier steering and poorer braking performance.

Underinflated tyres distort when you drive on them, so more of the tread is in contact with the road. This increases the 'rolling resistance' of the tyre, which means the engine has to work harder to make the wheels go round. A harder-working engine consumes more fuel, so you'll be making more of those expensive trips to the filling station.

If you'd like to know more about rolling resistance and its effect on driving performance and noise, as well as fuel economy, why not take a few moments out to read our handy article on what is tyre rolling resistance?

Tyre manufacturers are now producing energy-saving or eco tyres, and we stock a full range at Halfords. For more information, take a few minutes to read our simple, online guide to fuel-efficient tyres.

Should I overinflate my tyres to improve fuel efficiency?

Tyres should always be inflated to the recommended tyre pressure. Too much pressure could reduce fuel consumption, but it can also make the tyres wear out faster in the middle of the tread. Therefore, any saving on fuel will be lost in the long term because you need to replace the tyres more frequently.

Our advice, based on decades of tyre-fitting experience, is that keeping your tyres at the pressure advised by the car manufacturer is the only sure way to minimise all your motoring costs, including fuel.

If you're unsure what your optimum tyre pressure should be, everything you need to know is covered in another Halfords online guide, entitled what should my tyre pressure be?