Smarter driving tips that can save £250 in fuel bills

Leaving enough space on the road ahead, turning down the air con and shifting up a gear are all ways to make driving more efficient and save car owners up to £250 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

By Jessica SalterLast Updated: 5:06PM GMT 22 Jan 2009

More importantly, if every driver in the UK was trained to improve their fuel economy, the Trust claim that drivers could cut their carbon dioxide emissions by 10 million tonnes every year.
Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: "Smarter driving means driving more efficiently, which in turn can lead to reducing fuel usage by an average 15 per cent and a typical annual saving of between £200 and £250 per person.
"If everyone started driving smarter we as a nation would save ourselves £5 billion.
"At times like these that's not to be sniffed at."
TelegraphTV took a lesson with one of the Trust's instructors who are aiming to teach employees to make better use of their company cars - to drive more efficiently, reduce fuel consumption and to save money by implementing "smarter driving".
Tips include:
Revs: Change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
Drive smoothly: Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
Air con: Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption. The most efficient speed depends upon the car in question but is typically around 45 - 50mph. Faster speed will greatly increase your fuel consumption.
Don't warm the engine: Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
Accessories: Roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect the car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remove them when not in use.
Avoid short journeys: A cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective.
Plan: Try to avoid congestion, road works and getting lost.
Tyres: Check your tyre pressure regularly - under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
Switch the engine off: If you're stuck in a jam, switch the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two.