Going green

Nearly seven out of ten drivers say the cost of motoring has increased in the last 12 months, according to research by swiftcover.com, a situation reflected by the AA’s Running Cost tables, which suggests that the average cost of running a car has soared in 2009. According to the AA the annual cost of running a car now ranges from £1,965 for a small city car, up to a whopping £10,316 for a top of the range diesel. It’s no wonder that drivers are now trying to cut the costs of motoring more than ever, with 64% of motorist telling swiftcover.com that the increasing cost is primarily down to higher road and fuel taxes.

As petrol costs currently average 106.3p/litre according to the fuel comparison site petrolprices.com, many of us are all looking for ways to cut our fuel consumption and save some extra cash. One option is go green, as environmentally friendly cars are not only better for the world; they are more economical as well. But it’s not just fuel saving that can be had by going green.

The lower a car’s CO2 emissions, the less road tax you have to pay. Hybrids such as the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius emit less than 120g of CO2/km, meaning a cheap £15 annual road tax bill. It’s not just hybrid drivers who can save, as drivers of any car with emissions of less than 140g/km will only have to stump up £100 per year for road tax. So if you’re in the market for a new car, it’s worth looking at small diesels and vehicles with stop-start technology that actually switch off the engine when you are stopped – such as at traffic lights – and switch it on again seamlessly when you drive off.

Hybrid drivers are also exempt from the London congestion charge and in some London boroughs, such as Richmond, residents who drive eco-friendly cars can park for free, saving up to £110 a year.

On top of that, drivers of smaller, more efficient cars will usually get cheaper insurance. swiftcover.com, for example, offers hybrid drivers an additional 10% discount on their premium.

For drivers who aren’t planning on switching their cars any time soon there are other ways to save. Keeping your boot clutter free, ensuring your tyres are properly pumped up, avoiding racing starts from the traffic lights and changing gear at the right time can also help shave pounds off your fuel bill.

Innovation, perspiration and dedication

This month, the Swift Awards visited Macclesfield, Newport, Kingston upon Thames and Inverness, and discovered some truly outstanding businesses. What the team really noted, however, was the variety of businesses thriving despite the recession: taxi companies, florists, fish and chip shops to name but a few are flourishing due to their dedication to providing great services. However, of the 17 winners two businesses really stuck out, one for its innovation, and the other for its dedication to excellence.

Trevor Daniel, manager of the online company TaxiRoute hit upon a fantastic idea when he developed a program to calculate the cost of a taxi fare between two places. Customers who want to find out how much they should be paying for a taxi journey simply go to TaxiRoute’s website and enter the addresses of their origin and destination, and the site comes back with a guide to how much the customer should pay as well as contact details for local taxi firms. Best of all, because the site charges taxi companies to advertise on the site, it’s able to offer the service to customers for free, as well as potentially saving them money on the fare.

On the other side of the spectrum, we discovered Ti22 Vehicle Services, an independent vehicle detailer in Newport. Vehicle detailers carefully restore cars’ interiors and exteriors, aiming to leave the car ‘better than new’. James Walker, the business’ owner, explains what makes Ti22 different: “We’re the only vehicle detailer in Wales to be authorised by Swissvax, a specialist vehicle wax provider whose seal of approval is the industry’s benchmark. Also, because Ti22 has its own secure premises, owners can feel comfortable leaving their pride and joy with us.”

What really makes Ti22 stand out is a passion for cars. James is immensely proud of what he does as he truly cares about the cars he’s restoring. So much so that he’s been rewarded with the opportunity to restore some truly incredible cars such as a 20 year old Porsche 911 and a TVR Tuscan. Check out his work here.

Although the two businesses are in completely different industry sectors, what they have in common is a devotion to providing the best possible service to customers, making them perfect Swift Award winners. These businesses have gone out of their way to leave their customers satisfied.