British motorists can save around £270 each or 20p of every litre of fuel by simply driving “smart”.

That’s according to a new research by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), which claims drivers lose £7 billion in wasted fuel every year. The fuel saved would be equivalent to filling 12,000 Olympic swimming pools.

The Trust has launched ‘Fuel Your Passion’, a three-month campaign to inspire drivers to save money and cut the amount of carbon emissions.

Tim Anderson, EST’s Senior Knowledge Manager for Transport said: “Anticipating road conditions and driving more smoothly, shifting up gears early and turning off a car’s engine at traffic lights all make a massive difference.

“Motorists who take simple steps to change the way they drive will soon see a return on their investment. They can use the money they save to buy designer jeans, pay for a trip to the cinema or even save towards a holiday – which everyone would agree are far better uses for the cash in their wallet.”

EST also suggests drivers to keep tyres correctly inflated, which could save them around £31 and turning air conditioning off, saving around £77 every year.

A report earlier this year also suggested UK businesses could save around £1 billion on fuel by managing their mileage.