IT WAS just over three years ago when the country was in uproar as the price of petrol tipped over £1 a litre for the first time, sparking protests across the country.

Since then the price of fuel has rocketed further, with unleaded costing as much as 135.9p a litre and diesel coming in at 139.9p a litre at some petrol stations in Birmingham, according to price comparison site www.petrolprices.com

Thanks to the VAT increase to 20 per cent and the Government’s fuel duty rise of 0.76p a litre, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by about 5p a litre since December.

And further rises are expected in the next couple of weeks with an increase in the price of oil. From April 1 it has been estimated that petrol and diesel prices will shoot up by another 8p a litre, pushing the cost of unleaded petrol up to 136p a litre and diesel to 140p a litre, taking the cost of filling a saloon with a 50-litre tank to about £70.

It’s with wistful fond memories I recall it used to cost me £25 just a few years ago to fill my Nissan Micra with unleaded – now I’m lucky if I can do it for under £40.

But experts at AA Driving School reckon they could save the average motorist £500 or up to ten per cent off their annual fuel bill by adopting basic “eco driving” techniques.

Eager to save every penny I can, I signed myself up to one of the school’s Drive Smart courses – a two-hour session promising to teach me a new way of driving that would not only help save the environment but also slash my fuel consumption.