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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Charlie Duffield

Little-known car button which can slash fuel consumption by up to 12 per cent

Fuel prices have started to fall in recent weeks, but they are beginning to fall more slowly, RAC Fuel Watch has said.

Drivers can expect to pay approximately 148.35p per litre of petrol, whereas diesel is just above £1.70, to the dismay of motorists.

Several experts have asked supermarkets and other big retailers to cut their prices to assist drivers during the cost of living crisis.

Due to high fuel prices, plenty of people around the country have been practicing fuel-saving techniques.

Some have taken to social media to give advice, to help their followers save money on motoring costs.

Drivers can expect to pay approximately 148.35p per litre of petrol, whereas diesel is just above £1.70, to the dismay of motorists (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One social media user, Megan's Bubble, posted a video about a button which can be found in the majority of people's cars, but which many don't understand.

In the car, the button in question is displayed by an “A” with a circular arrow wrapping above it.

In the video, she says: “If you have a button that looks like this in your car this is your automatic start-stop button.

One social media user, Megan's Bubble, posted a video about a button which can be found in the majority of people's cars, but which many don't understand (Getty Images)

"It's going to automatically shut down your vehicle when it is stationary for a long time, like when you're sitting at a stop light or maybe through the Starbucks drive-thru.

"It's supposed to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions.”

Newer, more modern cars tend to have the system as stop-start engines are slowly becoming more common.

A young woman refilling her car with petrol at a gas station (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

When the vehicle is stationary, it is designed to cut the engine, which is then restarted when the clutch is engaged, the brake is released or the accelerator pressed.

The technology depends on another feature which understands when the car is not moving, or when it is out of gear.

When the car is motionless or our of gear, the fuel supply and connection to the engine are stopped.

In the car, the button in question is displayed by an “A” with a circular arrow wrapping above it (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This is done to stop idling, which is a waste of fuel money and gives off damaging emissions without the vehicle travelling anywhere.

For drivers using this feature, fuel economy could be boosted by up to 12 percent.

The Royal College of Physicians believes 40,000 deaths in the UK are related to air pollution, with engine idling playing a part.

Empty fuel warning light in car dashboard (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

In the Highway Code, Rule 123 talks about "the driver and the environment" and what motorists can do to stop their emissions.

It says drivers must not leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running, or leave a vehicle engine running while the vehicle is stationary on a public road.

A study by the US Department of Energy found that heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles combined waste about six billion gallons of fuel annually.

Approximately half of this is thought to be from personal vehicles, which give off 30 million tonnes of CO2 every year only from idling.

A study by Polytechnic University of Madrid compared the engine emissions of two four-wheel drive cars and found that the one fitted with automatic stop-start functionality recorded 20 percent lower emissions than the vehicle without this technology.

The emissions-lowering capability of stop-start systems is particularly important in towns and cities, where traffic is likely to be stationary for longer.

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