Eco-unfriendly driving costs UK motorists £700 million a year

Research released by Barclaycard Fuel+ has found that British motorists are wasting £700 million on their fuel bills every year because they aren’t using eco-friendly driving techniques.

On average British drivers are wasting over 636 million litres of petrol a year that could be saved if they drove more efficiently, and one in three motorists (36 per cent) do not use any eco‑driving techniques that could save them fuel and money.
    
It seems the older generation of motorists are the most likely to practice eco-unfriendly habits, such as leaving the engine running when stationary, accelerating unnecessarily and failing to use the right gear. Over half (55 per cent) of those aged over 65 admit they don’t drive in ways that might save fuel and more than two in five (44 per cent) of those aged between 44 and 64 say the same. Meanwhile, the research found that motorists aged 17-24 are the most eco-friendly whilst driving, with nine in ten (89 per cent) consciously using several fuel-efficient driving techniques.
    
John Bostock, account development director, Barclaycard, which has pioneered Barclaycard Fuel+, said: “with such a huge amount of money wasted on fuel, we would benefit massively as a nation if we were more mindful when it comes to driving in a more eco-friendly way. We keep a close eye on our grocery spending, so shouldn’t we do the same here when it’s apparent how much we could save just by driving more efficiently?”

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