Credit Crunch

Paul Clifton assesses the results:

Local builder Neil Chapman started the experiment with high hopes: "I'm getting 34 miles to the gallon from my Transit van," he said back in July. "I reckon I can do better than that."

Local builder Neil Chapman

He did....but not in a way anyone expected. He was constantly moving between different building sites. One trip in five was less than a mile long. And he seemed to leave his engine running a lot when he wasn't actually moving. So he was marked down badly.

In our trial, the drivers are given a "green rating" from A to G, like the ratings on a fridge or a dishwasher. Each week they can check their progress online, as the data is uploaded automatically. And Neil started out scoring an F.

So he changed his ways. He turned up at building sites on a scooter.

"It's the one-mile journeys that are killing my performance," he explained in August. "So I'm using the bike for short journeys round the village. I've got four jobs on the go on one road, and it makes sense to leave the van at home."

Neil Chapman on his Vespa

His rating shot up from F to C.

For the first time that put Neil ahead of our other driver. Like Neil, Jerry Abel lives in Shrewton. He's a super-smooth long-distance commuter. His daily 150 mile round trip to his office near Heathrow is almost all dual carriageway and motorway.

Our telemetry marked each aspect of Jerry's driving, and right from the start he scored A for gentle acceleration, A for steady braking and A for driving at a constant speed.

Jerry Abel refuelling

"I can't get my overall figure above a C, however hard I try," he moaned one month into the study. "I don't go above 70 miles an hour but slowing down to 60 would be just too tedious."

Jerry's huge mileage meant his CO2 emissions would always be high, however well he scored for his personal driving skills. Even though his car is a fuel-efficient diesel. After three months, what has he learned?

"It's quite easy to discipline myself to drive more economically with fuel prices as high as they are. You could say I'm driving economically for my own sake rather than for the environment. And if the environment benefits as a by-product, all well and good.

"I'm aware of the telemetry box fitted to my car, and that alone is enough to change the way that I drive."

Jerry's scored a green wheels rating of C

But in the last few weeks Neil has dropped back behind Jerry. His rating has fallen, and some days he's right down to a G, as low as he can go.

"It's been raining," he explains. "So I've been back in the van. No customer wants a dripping wet builder climbing off a bike to discuss their project. There were only three days in August when it didn't rain, and September's going the same way. Blame the weather for my fuel economy!"

The whole idea comes from the Horsham based insurance company, More Than. The company's Keith Maxwell comments: "We've been really impressed with both Jerry's and Neil's enthusiasm towards this pilot.

Keith Maxwell from More Than

"It's great to see both of them are taking the information and modifying their driving behaviour to save fuel. No matter who you are or what car you drive, making little changes to your driving really can reduce carbon emissions."

Neil points out the real benefit of this three month project. "I'm saving £15 a week on fuel. I own my business and I've got to keep overheads down. This has shown me how to do it."