Building managers have a social responsibility to utilize “green” technologies where proven to increase building efficiency and that provide a positive return on investment (ROI). They can have a positive impact on the environment through a strong commitment to manage hazardous waste and environmental risks; establish recycling, water and energy conservation plans; ensure healthy indoor air quality; implement “green” purchasing practices; and encourage public transportation and carpooling programs.

With the high cost of gas, service providers with fleets and everyone else are looking for more ways to be energy efficient and save money. Last month, they got some help from people who know a little about energy efficiencies when the Formula One governing body, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, (FIA) launched its global Make Cars Green campaign, working to educate drivers about more eco-friendly and fuel-efficient driving techniques.

FIA has come up with the following tips for green motoring to help you save money. The first thing it says to do is to buy green. When purchasing a vehicle, take into consideration environmental performance.

Buy an appropriate sized vehicle for your needs. A more efficient greener vehicle will cost less to run.

Plan your trip: A well-planned journey will allow you to get to your destination in the quickest and easiest way, saving on unnecessary fuel emissions. Consider that10 minutes of unnecessary driving in a one-hour trip results in a 14 percent decrease in fuel efficiency. For short journeys see if it is possible to walk or use public transit. Fitting a global positioning system (GPS) in your vehicle can allow you to know in advance the easiest route to a set destination.

Check tire pressures frequently: A well-inflated tire decreases the rolling resistance and thereby increases efficiency. Driving on tires with air pressure lower than it should be decreases fuel efficiency.

Consider fitting your car with tire pressure monitoring systems that allow you to know when you need to refill your tires. A correctly inflated tire increases the grip on the road and therefore is not only a greener, but a safer tire.

Reduce loads and avoid the need for roof racks: Extra weight increases the consumption of fuel as does increased air resistance. Driving with 100kg of unnecessary onboard weight leads to a significant decrease in fuel efficiency of around six percent on a medium class car.

Modern cars are built with aerodynamics in mind; a sky carrier on top of a car can increase gas consumption by 20 percent.

Don’t warm up your engine before starting off. Modern cars no longer need to be warmed up before starting off, only in extremely cold conditions. Slow running may be required after starting the engine; this style of driving will also increase fuel efficiency.

Modern cars constructed with a fuel injection engine no longer require the accelerator to be pushed when starting up. Doing so will only confuse the on-board systems and increase fuel consumption.

Use air conditioning only when necessary. Avoid setting AC to low, as AC uses a lot of power from the car. When it is safe to do so, opening the windows in town driving is more efficient than using AC.

However, the opposite is true when driving at high speed due to air resistance. Other in car devices, such as sound systems, also increases consumption.

Accelerate gently and keep your speed constant: Gentle driving uses less fuel, is safer and will allow you and your passengers to reach your destination in more comfort. Start off gently and avoid abrupt, heavy accelerations while driving. Avoid tailgating as it causes unnecessary acceleration/deceleration, which costs two to 6 percent less fuel efficiency. Use the highest gears possible in any given situation.

Use engine braking: Using the natural braking power of engines saves on fuel economy. Releasing the accelerator when recognizing the need to slow down stops the fuel supply leading to a 2 percent increase in fuel efficiency. Engine braking also has the added bonus of reducing wear and tear on the brakes.

Don’t idle your engine: When you are not using the engine of the car it is still using fuel. Idling for more than a minute uses more fuels than is needed to restart the engine.

There’s not much we can do about the price of gas, but there’s a lot we can all do about how much gas we use. Hope this helps.

Thanks and good luck.