Saving cash and the planet through smarter driving
High mileage drivers with Warwickshire County Council have been discovering how some simple changes behind the wheel can save hundreds of pounds a year in fuel costs.
As part of a pilot scheme the county council put 24 of the county council’s highest mileage drivers through the Energy Saving Trust’s Smarter Driving Programme.
This took under an hour each for the participants, but the results were astonishing. Drivers drove in normal conditions, and then after the course drove again and the results were recorded.
In one case a driver took her average miles per gallon (mpg) up to 66, a 32 per cent improvement on her pre-course figure. If she maintained this driving style for the year she would save £699 a year on her 12,000 miles and reduce her carbon dioxide emissions 1,823kg.
Another driver also managed to get to 66mpg, an increase of 20 per cent on his pre-course figure, but with his miles totalling 45,000 miles a year, the savings amount to £1,367 a year, and 3,562kg of carbon dioxide.
The Energy Saving Trust says its eco driving will normally result in about a 15 per cent fuel saving, equating to about £250 a year and reducing CO2 emissions.
The course tutors say adopting a smarter driving style/technique is easy and has to be practiced but when mastered it will become the normal style of driving.
The tutors have offered a few simple changes to driving styles that will have significant effects and will also offer a more relaxed way of driving.
Points to remember are:
* Don’t over rev your engine get in to as high as gear as possible at 2000rpm for diesel 2300 rpm for petrol.
* Stay in as high a gear for as long as possible without labouring you car. Don’t change down through every gear.
* Try to keep the car moving by reading the road further ahead. Every time you stop it costs more fuel to get moving again, slow down earlier adjust you approach speed to traffic conditions and situations.
* Leave yourself space, scan the road further ahead be responsive to situations not reactive, following too close will cause you to brake suddenly and harshly. By decreasing your acceleration you can slow down with less braking.
* Use downhill gradients to maintain momentum. Lower rpm and use more accelerator when going up hill.
* Maintain correct tyre pressures, correct wheel alignment and ensure regular maintenance.
* Keep to speed limits, driving at 80 mph uses 25% more fuel than driving at 60mph.
* Declutter car, take off roof racks etc which cause drag.
* Turn off engine when stationary for long periods.
* The main points are THINK, PLAN, RESPOND and PRACTICE but remember always bear safety in mind. It is no good being a eco driver if you are a dangerous driver.
Warwickshire County Council is now looking into the possibility of running future courses, possibly in conjunction with the Road Safety team.
Cllr Martin Heatley, the county council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “The results here have been quite astonishing. It just shows what a little bit of instruction can do for drivers.”
Included in the feedback after the course were the following comments:
“Changing gear earlier. I’m not an aggressive accelerator, but the predominant saving was made from changing gear that bit earlier than feels natural – something I’m now trying to put into practice.”
“Keep looking ahead to predict the traffic situations.”