Friday 5 April 2013

Manchester University staff cut fuel use by fifth

Manchester University staff have effectively cut their fuel use by nearly a fifth by using ‘smarter driving’ techniques.

Around 100 of the university’s fleet drivers took new training which suggests switching to a higher gear as soon as possible, driving smoothly or at a slower speed.

After Smarter Driving training, employees at the university achieved an average of 39.9 miles per gallon, an 18% reduction on fuel use.

According to the Energy Saving Trust which runs the Smarter Driving course, driving at 85mph uses approximately 25% more fuel than 70mph. The EST also advises against carrying excess weight in a car as it has to work harder to accelerate, using more fuel.

Andrew Hough, Sustainable Travel Planner at the University of Manchester said: “The guidance will be used by our staff to save money and carbon both at work and in their private lives. We hope to run the training again next year, possibly extending it to staff that use their own vehicles for business journeys.”