Martin Lewis has issued advice to British drivers as they grapple with rising petrol and diesel prices at the pump. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has caused a spike in oil prices, recently hiking to $117 after Iran attacked Qatar’s Ras Laffan energy complex.

The Money Saving Expert has offered a number of “simple” ways that drivers can save money on their petrol bills. He said the tips aid vehicle efficiency which results in motorists using up to 30% less petrol or diesel. Mr Lewis posted a clip on X of him appearing on the ITV Money Show Middle East. He captioned the post: “Simple ways to use 10% to 30% less petrol or diesel by making your car and driving more efficient.”

Mr Lewis is urging motorists to drive sensibly, including accelerating and braking gently. He explained how both the accelerate and brake pumps are “money burners”.

He said on the show: “How you drive matters too. Your accelerator is your money pump. When you’re pressing it, you are spending fuel that you have to put into the car.

“Your brake isn’t much better. It’s a money burner because when you’re braking you are converting energy stored in the car into heat.

“Now, I’m not saying don’t accelerate or brake because that’s what driving is all about. But, your road positioning, remaining a safe distance from the car ahead, thinking ahead, all enables you to speed up and slow down more gradually which is massively more fuel efficient.”

The latest data shows that petrol and diesel prices hit their highest in nearly three years this week. They increased between 9.8p and 20.3p per litre since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

The RAC has warned that UK drivers can expect 142.62p per litre of unleaded petrol at the pump. Meanwhile, diesel drivers can expect 162.66p per litre.

As well as driving sensible, Mr Lewis outlined three methods to improve vehicle efficiency. He explained: “These seem small but have a bigger impact than you think. You should try and make your car as efficient as possible.”

Pointing to an image of a car “with a few problems”, he continued: “First of all, it’s got a roof rack. If that’s empty, get rid of it. It’s really inefficient as you’re having to push that through the wind on the motorway as you drive.”

His second piece of advice was to “get rid of junk in your trunk”. He explained: “You want to get rid of junk in your trunk. For every 45kg in extra weight your car becomes 1% less efficient. So we get anything out of our boot that we’re not using and heavy weight.”

His third tip was to make sure your tyres are pumped up. He said: That can add 3% or 4% to your fuel bills as it’s not more efficient. So check your tyres and get them pumped up properly.”

Fourthly, he explained: “Finally, air-con. When you’re going at low speeds your air-con can be really expensive proportionaly and make the car much less efficient.

“At high speeds, if it’s warm, keep it on as opening your windows on the motorway will increase drag and make your car need to work harder.”