Eco-unfriendly driving costs £700m a year

British motorists are wasting £700 million a year on their fuel bills, because they aren’t using eco-friendly driving techniques, according to research by Barclaycard Fuel+

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’s the older generation of motorists who 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.

Two of the biggest ‘fuel wasting habits’ practised by British motorists according to the survey, is revving the engine at red lights or in traffic jams, instead of using the handbrake to stabilise the vehicle (something that 40 per cent of motorists admit to). The other is speeding, which the research found that over half (51 per cent) of British motorists, admit to not always sticking to the speed limit.

To find out how you could save money by driving more economically, read our Top 10 tips.