Instead of driving, consider walking, cycling or taking public transport, which not only save you money but can help improve your fitness. If, however, you do use a vehicle, there are a number of simple ways to reduce the amount of fuel you purchase and use. Every day large amounts of fuel is wasted by inefficient driving, especially during peak hour. The following driving tips can help to save you up to 15% off fuel costs [1], and also significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

Your Vehicle

There are some simple ways to make sure that your vehicle itself is more fuel efficient:

• Make sure you have the right type of tyres for your vehicle, and look for tyres that have low rolling resistance and maximum efficiency.

• Make sure that your tyres are the correct pressure as under inflated tyres can cause drag and resistance, while both under and over filled tyres can be dangerous to road holding [2].

• Make sure you have your vehicle serviced regularly, and that you use the right engine oil.

• Remove excess weight such as roof racks and boxes, and items stored in back seats and the boot. This not only reduces drag and wind resistance but can also help to significantly reduce fuel consumption. Studies have shown that on average for every extra 50 kilograms a car carries, fuel consumption is increased by around 2% [3].

Driving Tips

• Avoid using air conditioning if possible, as this increases the amount of work the engine has to do while driving. If driving at lower speeds open the window instead, however if driving at high speeds the air conditioning should be used as an open window can cause drag.

• Vehicle engines in general do not need to be ‘warmed up’, so only turn on your engine before you are ready to begin driving, and when your vehicle is stationary do not leave the motor running.

• Keeping your vehicle at a steady speed reduces work done by the engine. Keeping your vehicle at a lower speed also helps, with 45-50 mph the most efficient speed for the average car [4].

• Try to avoid making short trips, and instead try to plan ahead to combine multiple trips.

• Avoid ‘aggressive driving’ by driving more smoothly. Hard braking and accelerating can increase fuel consumption so stay a safe distance behind the vehicle in front and try to avoid areas and times of heavy traffic congestion to cut down on ‘stop-start’ driving.

Eco-driving Courses

If you have a large fleet and a large fuel bill, you can now send employees on eco-driving courses, which are designed to teach effective driving techniques to help reduce petrol consumption in everyday driving situations. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has developed Ecolution, a course which can improve fuel consumption by up to 25% [5], while other companies such as AA [6] and RoSPA [7] also provide eco-driving courses around the country.

For more energy saving tips and gadgets have a look at Energy Saving Warehouse’s range of products.

References
[1] Energy Saving Trust. Fuel-efficient driving tips. 2013. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Travel/Driving
[2] Ibid.
[3] WWF Australia. Eco-driving tips. 2013. http://www.wwf.org.au/what_you_can_do/change_the_way_you_live/sustainable_living/travel_transport_and_sustainable_living/eco_driving_tips/?desktop=1
[4] [a] Energy Saving Trust. Fuel-efficient driving tips. 2013. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Travel/Driving
[5] IAM. Ecolution. 2011. http://www.iamdriveandsurvive.co.uk/our-products/on-road-learning/ecolution
[6] AA. Eco-driver Training. 2011. http://www.theaa.com/businessservices/risk_management/eco_driver_training.html
[7] The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Driver Development- Eco-Driving Course. 2013. http://www.theaa.com/businessservices/risk_management/eco_driver_training.html