Department for Transport Minister Norman Baker is given first-hand experience of a smarter way of driving his car to help the environment.

The Minister will be driving around his constituency, Lewes, with an Energy Saving Trust smarter driving instructor learning all the tricks of reducing his fuel bills. 

The smarter driving programme is subsidised by the Department for Transport and is available in England for organisations’ employees, regardless of whether or not they drive a company vehicle. The programme shows drivers how a few simple changes in driving style can reduce fuel consumption – and therefore fuel costs and CO₂ emissions - by an average of 15%. For a car covering 12,000 miles p.a. this equates to typical annual savings of £200-250.

Nigel Underdown Head of Transport Advice at the Energy Saving Trust said:

“We are pleased to provide Norman Baker with a smarter driving lesson. The introduction of smarter driving training courses can help businesses address their employees’ concerns about fuel costs and being more environmentally friendly and can also save businesses money. But whether you are part of a business or not, there are many tips that we can all use.

“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 nearly £9 billion. At times like these that’s not to be sniffed at.”

To learn more about eco driving, read the Fleet News eco driving guide.