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Car insurance - Tips & Advice - Green driving – fuel economy labels
In a society that is increasingly concerned with climate change and CO² emissions, choosing the right type of car can be a major issue. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. As cars and other motor vehicles are a significant contributor to CO² emissions, many people are looking for cars that generate lower emissions and therefore pollute the atmosphere less.
How fuel economy labels work
Thankfully, choosing cars with lower emissions has been made easier through the UK Fuel Economy Label.
All new cars are rated on a scale from A-G, dependent on their CO² emission figure in g/km – with A having the lowest emissions and G the highest. See an example Fuel Economy label here. The label also gives estimated fuel costs for 12,000 miles and the vehicle tax for 12 months so you can see how much these will cost before you buy.
Road tax savings
The difference in road tax between the groupings can be quite significant. All cars registered on or after 1 March 2001 are taxed according to fuel type and CO² emissions. For instance, a petrol car falling into group B (101-120g/km) is taxed at £35 per year – whereas a petrol car in group F (186-225g/km) costs £210 per year.
Car dealers are required to have a label showing the fuel consumption and CO² emissions of each different model on display, either on or near the vehicle. However, it is possible to do some research beforehand. Visit the VCA (Vehicle Certification Authority) Car Fuel Data website to check car emissions by make and model. You can also check out the tax bands by visiting the Directgov website.
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