The UK weather is hotting up once again (yay).
It has been predicted the temperatures could rise with a 36C heatwave on the way this weekend.
Now as the heat is back, the price of fuel continues to be a problem across the country.
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As motorists will be looking to keep chilled in the heat, using the AC is one way to cool down behind the wheel.
Air conditioning is very energy intensive, while open windows can reduce the drag of the car and make it work harder.
And when that happens, fuel is burning quicker.
Now Chris Evans, head of content at Leasing.com, highlighted the benefits of using both AC and having the windows open.
He referenced a 2004 study by the Society of Automative Engineers (SAE) which looked at the impact of both.
In the study, it discovered the aerodynamics of the different cars and how long someone might use the air conditioning.
So this is when drivers need to find the balance of using AC over having their windows open.
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He said: "As such, the 45mph figure is a guide, but a fairly good one.
"While all this might seem like a minor issue, getting it wrong can have a notable impact on your fuel economy.
"Using AC can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 10% but opening the windows at higher speeds can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20%."
Numerous studies have also followed, one of which found that hybrid car fuel economy is harder hit by AC use than conventional combustion-only cars.
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More research, from Emissions Analytics, found the impact of AC on hybrid fuel economy was almost twice as much.
Fuel efficiency dropped 6.1% in a hybrid car on average, compared to just 3.8% for standard petrol car and 4.6% for diesel.
Chris added: "While the 45mph line is a good guide, things get a bit more complicated when you are in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
"In these situations, it is probably best to avoid using air con or opening your windows."
He continued: "However we know that in hot conditions that might be uncomfortable, so as a solution you could turn on the air con but close your air vents.
"The air con merely recycles the cabin air rather than drawing the air from outside, where there is nose-to-tail line of traffic all belching out exhaust fumes."
Other options to cool down include parking in the shade or a garage.
Tinted windows could also help during the heat, as well as heat deflectors.
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