How can I go green while driving?

QI’d like to be greener, but I’m too skint to get a new electric or hybrid car. What can I do instead?

ARAE SAYS

You can be a more eco-friendly motorist without spending thousands on a new car. I asked Jo Hands of Giki Zero, a carbon footprint calculator for reducing your environmental impact, for her advice. ‘The majority of vehicles on the road are still powered by fossil fuels,’ she says. However, there still are ways to reduce the amount of petrol or diesel used. ‘Accelerate gently: acceleration is one of the biggest uses of fuel, so the smoother it is, and the more you can maintain your speed, the more fuel you’ll save. Drive more slowly: 50mph is 25% more efficient than 70mph. Drive less: when the engine is off, it isn’t burning fuel.’ That final tip, to drive less, is key. When making a local journey, consider whether you could walk, while for longer journeys, coaches and trains can be cheaper and more convenient.