Simple ways to reduce your driving emissions

Thanks to the increase in eco-friendly vehicles on our roads, the air quality is slowly improving in the UK. However, there are lots of simple ways to reduce your driving emissions and help to reduce this level even more. These checks and changes can help the environment as well as improve your car’s performance and fuel economy – thus making it cheaper to run.

Checks you can do
1. If you have a Stop Start engine, check that this is switched on. Idly sitting with the engine running wastes considerable fuel. Believe it or not, sitting stationary with the engine on for just 10 seconds wastes more fuel than restarting the engine.

2. Check if you really need to drive. By choosing to walk or cycle where possible you can do your bit to help the environment, after all, a car left at home emits nothing. If you’re looking to give up your car full time, it’s simple to find out how much you could earn for your old vehicle.

3. When changing your tyres, check that the new ones have low rolling resistance as you could save as much as 0.5 litres of fuel per 100km. While we’re talking about tyres, be sure to check the pressure regularly too. Low pressure increases CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. It’s thought that a tyre under-inflated by 20% could reduce economy by 20%.

4. Check if you really need to use air con. Fuel consumption and emissions can increase by the drag created on a car travelling with its windows down. Yet your vehicles climate control system may not be as efficient as you think. These systems make the engine work harder in already difficult conditions and increase your vehicle emissions too.

Changes you can make
1. Engine oil is essential to maintaining a cars optimum efficiency. This fluid cleans, cools and lubricates your vehicle which prevents unnecessary wear and tear and keeps it running in tip top condition. Make sure to check your engine oil level and change it regularly. See your vehicle handbook for the manufacture’s guidelines on service and which grade of oil to be using.

2. Car air filters clog up naturally overtime and this restricts airflow to the engine. When the engine finds it difficult to breathe, deposits can build up causing damage. To avoid this, change air filters frequently according to the service guide in your vehicle handbook.

3. Premium fuel, often known as ‘super’ or ‘ultimate’ fuel, contain additives which help to clean the fuel system and lower the emissions of your vehicle. If you’re unsure about spending extra money on higher grade fuel you can buy and add a cleaning agent before running your vehicle to clean it manually.

4. As car manufacturers look to adhere to new environmental laws and regulations, modern cars are becoming more and more efficient. Making these small checks and changes to your current model might lower your car emissions, however if you’re looking to do more, changing to a newer vehicle will give you a more significant drop.

How this helps.  Let us know in the comments below if you have any other top tips.