1. Avoid high speeds

As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases exponentially. Driving 62 mph (100 kph) vs 75 mph (120 kph) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15 per cent. When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves fuel and reduces engine wear.

2. Do not accelerate or brake hard

By anticipating the traffic and applying slow, steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20 per cent.

3. Keep tyres properly inflated

Keep tyre air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer.

4. Use A/C sparingly

When the air conditioner is on, it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20 per cent).

5. Do not keep windows all the way down

Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increases drag and results in decreased fuel economy of up to 10 per cent.

6. Service vehicle regularly

Proper maintenance prevents poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.

7. Use cruise control

Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves petrol.

8. Avoid heavy loads

Remove the sandbags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.

9. Avoid long idles

If you anticipate being stopped for more than one minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.

10. Purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle and use the correct grade of fuel

When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually, choosing a small vehicle with manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

11. Avoid 'jack rabbit' starts

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas.

12. Protect the environment

By increasing conservation and energy efficiency and aggressively using these clean-energy technologies, we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by significant amounts in the coming years.

Contributed by: Consumer Affairs Commission