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Tips for being green with your car and garage
Quick tips
Fill you tyres
By ensuring your tyres are filled to the maximum recommended air pressure, you will save fuel, money and energy. Under-inflated tyres can increase your fuel consumption by up to 8%.
Have your car serviced regularly
The better shape your car is, the more fuel efficient it will be and the less fuel it will guzzle.
Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy efficient ones
They might cost more initially, but they last much longer and are significantly better for the environment.
Turn off your engine
If you're stuck in traffic for more than a couple of minutes, turn off your engine to save fuel.
Use your car efficiently
Drive smoothly instead of braking at high speed.
More tips
Downsize your car
A small, fuel-efficient car will produce less polluting emissions. Environmental consultant Dr Jan Kooijman suggests that the driver of a 4X4 using 71 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres could save 1,200 litres of fuel per year simply by downgrading to a family saloon. To put this in perspective, Kooijman suggests the same environmental saving through recycling bottles would have taken 400 years, even when recycling an entire family's glass.
Dispose of your engine oil safely
If you are looking at your car yourself, dispose of your old engine oil safely and cleanly by visiting www.oilbankline.org.uk.
Leave your car at home
If everyone left their car at home just one day a week, it would make a huge difference to the environment.
Take car batteries to the dump
If you change your own car battery, remember they contain lead, which can be toxic to people, animals and fish. Take them to your local dump for recycling.
Think before you drive
Dr Kooijman warned in 2004 that driving to a recycling point in a fuel-guzzling car could do more damage to the environment than it saves. This doesn't mean you shouldn't recycle — just that you should think before you drive. Perhaps you could arrange for your bottles to be collected or use the bottle bank at your supermarket if you've driven there already.
Turn the lights off when you leave the garage
This is one of the easiest things anyone can do — and the difference it can make to the amount of energy we consume is considerable.
Use alternatives to cars
Wherever possible walk, cycle or use public transport to get from A to B. You can also organise car pools with people at your place of work.
Use a park and ride scheme
Buses under these schemes usually have priority bus lanes, so you can get to work without sitting in traffic.
Channel 4 takes no responsibility for the contents of any third-party websites.
Fill you tyres
By ensuring your tyres are filled to the maximum recommended air pressure, you will save fuel, money and energy. Under-inflated tyres can increase your fuel consumption by up to 8%.
Have your car serviced regularly
The better shape your car is, the more fuel efficient it will be and the less fuel it will guzzle.
Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy efficient ones
They might cost more initially, but they last much longer and are significantly better for the environment.
Turn off your engine
If you're stuck in traffic for more than a couple of minutes, turn off your engine to save fuel.
Use your car efficiently
Drive smoothly instead of braking at high speed.
More tips
Downsize your car
A small, fuel-efficient car will produce less polluting emissions. Environmental consultant Dr Jan Kooijman suggests that the driver of a 4X4 using 71 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres could save 1,200 litres of fuel per year simply by downgrading to a family saloon. To put this in perspective, Kooijman suggests the same environmental saving through recycling bottles would have taken 400 years, even when recycling an entire family's glass.
Dispose of your engine oil safely
If you are looking at your car yourself, dispose of your old engine oil safely and cleanly by visiting www.oilbankline.org.uk.
Leave your car at home
If everyone left their car at home just one day a week, it would make a huge difference to the environment.
Take car batteries to the dump
If you change your own car battery, remember they contain lead, which can be toxic to people, animals and fish. Take them to your local dump for recycling.
Think before you drive
Dr Kooijman warned in 2004 that driving to a recycling point in a fuel-guzzling car could do more damage to the environment than it saves. This doesn't mean you shouldn't recycle — just that you should think before you drive. Perhaps you could arrange for your bottles to be collected or use the bottle bank at your supermarket if you've driven there already.
Turn the lights off when you leave the garage
This is one of the easiest things anyone can do — and the difference it can make to the amount of energy we consume is considerable.
Use alternatives to cars
Wherever possible walk, cycle or use public transport to get from A to B. You can also organise car pools with people at your place of work.
Use a park and ride scheme
Buses under these schemes usually have priority bus lanes, so you can get to work without sitting in traffic.
Channel 4 takes no responsibility for the contents of any third-party websites.
