EECA’s fuel savings campaign, launched in March 2026, promoted a set of six practical driving and vehicle maintenance actions that could help New Zealanders reduce fuel consumption and get immediate savings at the pump.
The actions, which included smoother driving, lower speeds, and maintaining correct tyre pressure, were selected based on evidence of their potential to reduce fuel use. Verian was engaged to independently evaluate the campaign’s impact and estimate the return on investment (ROI) associated with any behaviour changes observed during the campaign period.
The evaluation uses a transparent and conservative approach to estimate attributable campaign impact. Behaviour was measured directly during the campaign using a campaign monitor survey, then attributable behaviour change was estimated by comparing behaviours between groups with different likelihoods of campaign exposure.
This approach allows a clear comparison between different groups, providing a better estimation of the incremental difference associated with the campaign over and above other influences (i.e. fuel prices or wider information sources).
The impacts of each individual action promoted in the campaign were gathered from scientific studies and applied to the characteristics of the New Zealand vehicle fleet to determine the total fuel savings achieved over the course of the campaign.
Verian’s evaluation estimates the campaign reduced fuel consumption by 6.6 million litres over weeks 1-7 of activity, generating approximately $21.5 million in fuel cost savings for drivers. This savings figure is calculated using the average fuel prices during week 5 of the campaign ($3.24 for petrol and $3.31 for diesel), providing a conservative estimate of the campaign’s direct financial benefit.
This equates to an estimated ROI of $6.92 for every dollar spent. In addition, the report also evaluated non-monetary returns, including shifts in awareness, beliefs, and attitudes toward fuel-efficient driving.