A two-car family could save as much as £1,000 a year by following this advice:

• Get the car serviced regularly to maintain engine efficiency.

• Check tyre pressures regularly – Underinflated tyres use more fuel.

• Leave promptly – Don’t start the engine until you’re ready to go.

• Drive smoothly, accelerate gently and read the road ahead to avoid unnecessary braking.

• Decelerate smoothly

• Rolling – If you can keep the car moving all the time, so much the better.

Stopping then starting again uses more fuel.

• Change gear as soon as possible without labouring the engine.

• Don’t leave air conditioning on all the time. It increases fuel consumption.

• Turn it off – Any electrical load increases fuel consumption, so turn off your heated rear windscreen, demister blowers and headlights when you don’t need them.

• Stick to the speed limit – the faster you go the greater the fuel consumption.

• Don’t be idle – if you get caught in a queue, turn the engine off.