KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — As fuel prices in Malaysia continue to rise, the nation faces a pressing challenge.

Subsidies are eating away at government coffers, with the financial strain growing heavier each day.

With the retail price for RON95 at RM3.87 per litre, Malaysians are still paying RM1.99 at the pump — meaning the government subsidises around RM1.88 for every litre purchased. 

According to available data, Malaysians consume roughly between five and six litres of fuel daily on average.

With an estimated 10 million vehicles on the road each day, national fuel consumption is believed to be in the region of 50 to 60 million litres daily. 

Based on those estimates, RON95 subsidies alone amount to a staggering RM94 to RM113 million every single day.

However, if every Malaysian motorist makes a conscious effort to save just one litre of fuel each day, the potential savings for the government amounts to roughly RM18 million daily.

To inspire better fuel conservation practices, here are some effective habits that everyone can start practicing from today.

Walk or cycle for short distances

Instead of driving short distances, consider walking or cycling.

For instance, if you normally drive 2km to a local store, you could save approximately 0.2 to 0.4 litres of fuel by walking or cycling.

If one million people choose to walk or cycle instead of driving for nearby errands, this could lead to a collective saving of about 200,000 to 400,000 litres of fuel per day.

Carpool or use public transport

Carpooling can reduce the number of cars on the road and, eventually, fuel consumption.

If four people carpool in one vehicle rather than each taking their own car, this habit can save about four to five litres of fuel per person for that trip.

If one million people decide to carpool or use public transport just once a week, it could save about four to five million litres per week collectively.

Regular vehicle maintenance

Proper maintenance can improve fuel efficiency by 10 per cent or more.

For example, if a vehicle normally consumes seven litres per 100km, regular maintenance could reduce consumption to 6.3 litres.

Over a typical monthly driving distance of 1,000km, this habit could save about seven litres of fuel in one month.

Drive smoothly and avoid excessive speeding

Smooth acceleration and maintaining a steady speed can improve fuel efficiency by up to 25 per cent.

For instance, if a driver typically uses eight litres for a 100km trip but drives aggressively, smoother driving could reduce consumption to six litres.

Over 100km a week, this practice would save about two litres.

Plan your trips efficiently

By combining errands and planning routes, you can reduce the distance driven and save fuel.

For example, if a typical week involves multiple short trips amounting to 10km, let’s assume that optimising the route could save about 10 per cent of that distance.

That would equate to saving around one litre of fuel per week.

Check tyre pressure

Properly inflated tyres can improve fuel efficiency by approximately three to four per cent.

Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, leading to higher fuel consumption.

For instance, if a vehicle typically consumes eight litres per 100km, maintaining proper tyre pressure could reduce consumption to around 7.6 litres. Hence, if you drive an average of 1,000km a month, this habit could save about four litres of fuel monthly.

Offload unnecessary excess weight

Carrying excess weight in your vehicle can reduce fuel efficiency by about one to two per cent for every 45kg of additional weight, depending on the car size.

If you often carry an extra 90kg, such as tools or sports equipment, your vehicle may consume approximately two to four per cent more fuel.

In a situation where a vehicle normally consumes eight litres per 100km, this could increase to about 8.2 litres when loaded.

If you drive 1,000km a month, this results in an additional two litres consumed due to the extra weight.

While the numbers associated with each habit may seem small at an individual level, collectively, if the entire population practises even a few of these habits regularly, the impact on national fuel consumption would be significant in these trying times.