Get more for the bucks we spend on fuel:

* Fuel is stored in underground tanks at service stations and the colder the ground, the denser the fuel. So filling up earlier in the day means you're getting more for your dollar than you are later in the day when the ground is warmer and the fuel has had a chance to expand. Buying fuel in the afternoon or early evening will leave you short-changed on every litre of fuel you buy.

* Use the lowest, or slowest, setting on the pump nozzle. Using the slowest rate minimises the vapours created during filling and that means there's more fuel going into your tank.

* Fill your tank when it's half full and there is less air space above the petrol in the tank than when the petrol level is lower. This way, there is less loss through evaporation.

* Don't fill up if you see a tanker delivering fuel at a service station. The petrol in the underground tank can be stirred up as the fresh fuel is pumped in, and the muck on the bottom of the tank could be stirred up and pumped into your tank.