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Vaping Products Duty has been live since 1st October. If you’ve been reading around, you’ve probably seen plenty of advice telling you to panic buy. We’re not going to do that, and as you’ll see below, you don’t need to.
What we would suggest is something a bit calmer. Our prices are holding for now, which makes this a really good moment to get into a few small habits that stop you wasting liquid. They cost nothing, they’re not complicated, and they’ll still be saving you money whenever prices do move, for us or anyone else.
Key Takeaways
- Our prices aren’t changing yet, so there’s no need to stock up or change how you shop
- This isn’t about vaping less, it’s about wasting less of what you’ve already bought
- Priming new coils and staying inside the recommended power range are the two biggest things for coil life
- Heat, light and air are what age e-liquid, so storage matters more than most people think
- Storing liquid well is a reason to buy what you’ll actually use, not to buy extra
- If you’re vaping constantly and not feeling satisfied, check your nicotine strength with an adviser before assuming it’s the liquid
This isn’t about vaping less
Worth saying clearly before we get into tips, because “make it last longer” can sound like “use less of it”. It isn’t.
The NHS is quite direct on this. If you’re vaping to stay off cigarettes, you should use your vape as much as you need to manage cravings and withdrawal, and you shouldn’t worry if that’s more than you used to smoke. Cutting back to save a few pounds and ending up back on cigarettes would be a really bad trade, especially as the NHS estimates vaping costs about a third as much as smoking once you’ve bought the kit (however, these estimates were made pre-VPD)
So everything here is about waste, not consumption. Same amount of vaping, fewer bottles going down the drain, so to speak.
Prime new coils and pods properly
A coil has a cotton wick inside it, and that wick needs to be soaked through with liquid before you fire it. If it isn’t, the coil heats up dry and burns the cotton instead of vaporising your e-liquid. That’s your burnt taste, and once a coil’s had a proper burn, that’s usually it.
If you’re using a refillable pod or tank, fill it up and give it a few minutes to soak in before your first puff. Some people also take a couple of gentle draws without pressing the fire button to help pull the liquid through. It’s a small bit of patience that protects the coil and stops you binning a fresh one after a few puffs.
Stay in the power range and slow down
If your device lets you adjust the power, there’s usually a recommended range printed on the coil itself. Stick to it. Going above it vaporises liquid faster than the wick can keep up with, which means harsher hits, more burnt coils and more liquid used per puff for less enjoyment.
If you can change the setting, start at the lower end and nudge it up until it feels right, rather than starting high and working backwards.
The other habit worth looking at is chain vaping. Lots of hard puffs in quick succession doesn’t give the wick time to re-saturate, so you end up with the same dry coil problem as skipping priming. A few seconds between puffs makes a real difference to how long a coil lasts.
Know when a coil is finished
Coils don’t last forever, and how long they do last varies a lot from person to person. How often you vape, what power you use and what liquid you’re using all play a part, so we won’t pretend there’s a magic number.
What’s worth knowing is that your liquid choice matters. Very sweet liquids tend to gunk up coils faster, and thicker, higher VG liquids can be harder for the wick to keep up with. If you notice you’re getting through coils quickly, the flavour you’re vaping could be part of the story.
The signs a coil’s done are usually easy to spot, a flat or burnt taste, crackling, or a device that starts leaking. When you see them, change it. Pushing on with a tired coil wastes liquid and makes your vape worse, which isn’t saving anyone anything.
Store your e-liquid properly
This is the one most people get wrong, mainly because nobody thinks about it.
E-liquid breaks down because of three things, heat, light and air. Nicotine in particular reacts to oxygen and light, which is why liquid slowly darkens over time. That’s oxidation, it’s normal, and it doesn’t make liquid dangerous, but it does mean the flavour and strength gradually fade.
A few simple rules go a long way:
- Keep bottles sealed, with the cap properly on
- Store them upright
- Keep them somewhere cool and out of direct light, a drawer or cupboard is ideal, a sunny windowsill or a hot car isn’t
- Keep them well out of reach of children and pets, nicotine liquid is poisonous if swallowed
Check the best before date on your bottles too. Liquid past its date usually tastes weaker rather than becoming harmful, but there’s no reason to put up with that when it’s avoidable.
And one honest point while we’re here. Good storage means the bottles you buy stay in good condition, it’s not a reason to buy extra. Liquid has a shelf life, so the sensible approach is the one we’ve always suggested, buy what you’ll use, when you need it.
Cut out the accidental waste
Most wasted liquid isn’t dramatic, it’s a drip here and a leak there.
- Don’t let your tank or pod run dry. Vaping on empty is a fast route to a burnt coil, so top up before it gets that low
- Don’t overfill. Filling past the line can flood the coil and cause leaking and gurgling
- Keep your device upright when you’re not using it, especially in a bag or pocket
- Give your tank a clean now and then. Residue builds up over time and hurts both flavour and coil life
None of it’s exciting, but a leaking pod in a coat pocket is a very expensive way to lose a few millilitres.
Check your nicotine strength
We want to be careful here, because we’re not going to tell you that a higher or lower strength will make your liquid last longer. The research on how nicotine strength and type change how much people vape is mixed, so we won’t claim something we can’t back up.
What we will say is this. The NHS advises choosing a strength that matches how much you used to smoke, and it can take a while to get right. If you find yourself vaping constantly without ever feeling satisfied, the strength might not suit you, and that could be costing you more liquid than it should.
The answer isn’t to drop your strength to save money. It’s to talk to a specialist vape shop or your local stop smoking service, who can help you find a level that works. Getting that right is better for you and tends to be easier on your bottles too.
A quick word on DIY
If you enjoy mixing your own, it can be a more flexible way to buy, and we stock the ingredients for it. Just go in with clear eyes, because Vaping Products Duty applies to liquid ingredients as well as finished bottles, so don’t expect mixing your own to get around it. Think of it as a hobby with a few perks, rather than a tax loophole.
FAQ
No. Our Price Lock is designed so you don’t have to. We’ve planned ahead so you can keep buying what you need, when you need it, at the prices you’re used to.
No. The NHS advises using your vape as much as you need to manage cravings, and not to worry if that’s more than you smoked. The tips here are about waste, not how much you vape.
It varies, depending on how often you vape, what power you use and what liquid you’re using. Rather than a fixed time, watch for a flat or burnt taste, crackling or leaking, and change it when you see them.
Darkening is usually just nicotine oxidising. Older liquid tends to lose flavour and strength rather than becoming harmful, but if it smells or tastes off, or has separated, it’s best to replace it.
We can’t promise that, the evidence is mixed. If you’re unsure about your strength, a specialist vape shop or stop smoking service can help you find the right one.
