As of September 2008 the DSA introduced Eco-Aware driving as part of the Practical test, although for the time being it is only used as a guidance and no driving faults are marked against you.

Eco Driving Tips:

• Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves undue wear and tear on your car and makes for a more economic use of fuel.
• Keep your revs down, where ever possible, change up before you reach 2,500 rpm for petrol and 2,000 rpm for diesel engines. Don't allow the engine to 'labour' though, as this can cause it serious damage
• Use the air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
• When you start the engine, don’t keep it idling to heat up the engine. This wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
• Remove anything from the vehicle which increases ‘drag’ and reduce fuel efficiency. Roof boxes and roof racks etc., should only be in place when they are being used. Don’t use the boot as a permanent storage space.
• Avoiding short journeys, or link together several necessary journeys, a cold engines use almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take up to five miles to become effective.
• Plan your journeys to avoid road works, congestion or losing your way. If you are stuck in a traffic jam – turn the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two. Cutting the engine will save fuel and reduce emissions.
• Depending upon the car the most efficient speed is typically around 45-55 mph. Faster speed will greatly increase you fuel consumption.
• Keep your tyres correctly inflated, under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 3% and emissions by up to 5% - and can seriously upset the stability of the cars steering.