1. Maintenance
Keep your car well serviced and check the oil level regularly. A correctly maintained car with an internally clean engine operates more efficiently and helps reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 15%.
2. Tyre Pressures
Check your tyre pressure every month. Under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 4%*. Find and maintain the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle.
3. Stay Light
Remove unnecessary weight from your boot or back seats. The heavier the car, then the harder the engine has to work and therefore increasing your overall fuel consumption.
4. Stay Aerodynamic
Close your windows, especially at higher speeds and remove empty roof racks. Reducing wind resistance lowers fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10%**.
5. Use Air Cone Wisely
Use air conditioning only when genuinely required. Unnecessary use of your vehicles Air Conditioning system increases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 5%**.
6. Reduce Idling Time
Drive straight after starting the car and turn the engine off when stationary for over a minute. Modern cars allow you to ‘get in and go’, reducing fuel consumption.
7. Drive Smoothly
Drive at reasonable speeds and above all, accelerate and brake as smoothly as possible. Every time you accelerate or brake suddenly, your engine uses more fuel and produces more CO2.
8. Use Higher Gears
When accelerating in your vehicle, change up to a higher gear as early as possible. Using higher gears, or ‘short shifting’, is more economical in terms of fuel consumption**.
9. Anticipate Traffic
Try to anticipate traffic flow. Look at the traffic as far ahead as possible in order to avoid unnecessary stopping and starting within the flow of traffic.
10. Car Sharing
Consider car sharing, both for work and for leisure. You will help reduce congestion and fuel consumption by using one car for a shared journey.* International Energy Agency ** European Commission
