Be An Eco Driver

There are more ways you can help to reduce your Co2 output on a day to day basis and save money by becoming an eco friendly driver...

Eco-driving is mainly just driving with a light touch of the right foot. The aim is to save energy by focusing on the way we drive, what we drive and even when we drive.

Just by changing the way we drive, many of us could save as much as 25 per cent of the fuel we now use. The European Climate Change Programme estimates that if eco-driving were adopted throughout Europe, even an average 10 per cent cut in fuel consumption would save 25 billion litres of fuel by 2010.

• Having the air conditioning system switched on can add as much as 10/14 per cent to fuel consumption.
• Remove roof-racks and bike-racks if not in use. They create drag and increase fuel consumption. For the same reason don’t have windows open at speeds of over 40mph.
• Correct tyre pressures are important. Under-inflated tyres have increased rolling resistance and increase fuel consumption – and wear out faster.
• Car dealers are required to display – in new car showrooms – a ‘fuel label’, which gives an energy efficiency rating and the running costs that an owner can expect over a year. Check your car’s green credentials.
• Drive smoothly - avoid harsh acceleration and heavy braking. Pulling away too fast uses up to 60 per cent more fuel.
• Drive off immediately when starting from cold – idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
• Stick to speed limits and make your fuel go further – driving at 70 mph uses up to 30 per cent more fuel than driving at 50 mph. Driving at 70 mph along a motorway instead of 80 mph can save something like forty pence every ten miles.
• Avoid short journeys – a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective.
• Stuck in a jam? Switch off. Turning off the engine after two minutes will save fuel and cut emissions.