Drive smarter

Lower your fuel costs and help the environment

It’s hard to imagine life without a car. Sure, they’re expensive to run, clog up our city centres and are responsible for Jeremy Clarkson hitting his producer, but they’re also a necessity for most of us in this day and age.

The good news is that there are ways to lessen the impact of our driving on the environment, which have the rather lovely side effect of saving us money as well.

A small car with low emissions is by far the best vehicle for around town. But here are tips that apply to all vehicles, to improve fuel economy: don’t carry around unnecessary weight in the boot; remove any roof boxes or ski racks when not in use; ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure; and only use the air-con when it’s hot enough to need it.

Driving in the rush hour means lots of stop-start driving, which is terrible for fuel consumption and your stress levels. Other culprits you should avoid include accelerating sharply and not obeying speed limits. Driving faster to get to your destination will actually cost you more in fuel, even though you’re on the road for less time.