Green drivers are quids in

Going ‘green’ can help drivers stay out of the ‘red’ with UK motorists potentially saving up to £300 a year by adopting a greener set of wheels, according to research from uSwitch.com.

In 2007, the number of green cars bought in the UK grew 70% from 10,000 to 17,000. If this trend continues, uSwitch.com estimates that there will be 55,900 green cars driving on Britain’s roads in 2008, yet this will still only account for 0.2% of all registered vehicles in the country.

The research compares the running costs of the six most eco-friendly green cars with their ‘non-green’ equivalents. Not only do these green cars emit an average of 17%less CO2 than their gas guzzling counterparts, but each model is cheaper to run in terms of road tax and fuel costs. Fuel bills reached a high on the 16th January 2008 with average petrol prices across Britain reaching 104.3 pence per litre (19% increase on 88.25p per litre in 2007) and diesel increased by 16% to 109.3 pence per litre (from 93.62p in 2007). Drivers could combat these rising costs by switching to greener vehicles, saving an average of £165 each year on fuel and up to £125on road tax.

Ashton Berkhauer, insurance expert at uSwitch.com comments: “A vehicle’s green credentials are fast becoming a major selling point when it comes to buying a new car. However, it is not simply a case of motorists blindly jumping on to the green bandwagon. With fuel prices soaring to a record high, motorists are increasingly becoming attracted to these fuel-efficient, lower-tax green vehicles, finding them to be kind on their pockets as well as on the environment.

“There is a perception that green cars are more expensive to buy. However, we found a green alternative to the normal gas guzzler is on average £130 cheaper to buy. Not only that, but over the course of a five year ownership, green drivers save on average £1,092 on running costs over a ‘standard’ car on fuel and tax. So they still pocket £1,222, saving both the environment and the pennies.”

Going green

The motor manufacturing industry is working hard to deliver environmental improvements to their models, bringing new alternative-fuelled cars to the market as well as in-car technologies that limit emissions and dramatically improve fuel efficiency. This has resulted in a 9.7% reduction in CO2 emissions from new passenger cars in recent years.

The insurance industry has also responded to the green boom by providing products that offer competitive premiums alongside carbon offsetting schemes. Even though there is a lot of talk surrounding the benefits of going green it’s important to understand what is actually green about your insurance - the provider or the policy. For example, some providers such as MORETH> N, are 100% carbon neutral as an organisation. Other providers, such as The Green Insurance Company*, actively promote green policies and offer discounted premiums for green cars. They also give away a percentage of their profits to green projects to help offset carbon emissions.

Berkhauer concludes “Our research indicates that eco-insurers are becoming increasingly competitive. It is not only green drivers who benefit from the surge in green products - motorists driving vehicles with slightly higher emissions should not rule out green providers when searching for an insurance policy.

“Consumers are increasingly tuning to green as research suggests that two thirds of drivers would consider switching to a greener vehicle and sales of ‘alternatively fuelled’ cars are on the increase. With ‘going green’ recently being voted the third most popular New Year’s resolution, it seems highly likely that the green boom is set to gain even greater momentum in 2008. Not only will drivers acquire the piece of mind that they are doing their bit for the environment, but it can also prove to be a savvy move financially. To be truly green, motorists should look to use a provider whose company is carbon neutral, drive a hybrid or electric vehicle and offset their emissions by donating to a charity that works on environmental projects.”

uSwitch.com’s Top Tips for Green Motoring

Drive a green car and not a gas guzzler with high fuel emissions. Explore the possibility of hybrid technology, using biofuels, or maybe even using hydrogen in your vehicle.

Seek alternative means of transportation such as public transport or walk/cycle for shorter journeys.

Reduce the number of cars on the road by car sharing with a colleague to travel to work.

Check your tyre pressure – low air pressure in tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 10%.

Watch your speed - driving at 70mph can consume almost 25% more fuel than driving at 50mph, however traveling at 15mph creates the most pollution. Around 56mph is roughly the optimum speed to reduce fuel consumption.

Avoid harsh acceleration – revving your car will use more fuel and add to wear and tear.

Limit your use of air conditioning.

Anticipate conditions and plan your journey - avoid peak times and areas of known congestion.