Find a ride: To work, to school, to the hockey game, soccer game etc.
Offer a ride: Fill up those empty seats in your vehicle.
For normal usage budget, set
an amount for weekly gas. Do not go above that
amount. If the price rises, only pay the same amount as you
normally budget for. If it drops, only pay the same amount. This
way you will be motivated to save gas.
Another way to handle the high cost of
fuel is to buy less dollars at each pump.
Do not fill up or
even pay out your weekly fuel allowance when the price is too high, as this
triggers fuel companies to perceive that the consumer is willing to
pay high pump prices. You might have to spend your weekly allowance
for fuel in several different pumping stations over the week. This signals fuel
companies who see cash flow loss that the price they have put at the
pumps to be too high.
Carpool to work with people who work in
the same workplace
or close to the same workplace.
Find a ride: To work, to school, to the hockey game, soccer game etc.
Offer a ride: Fill up those empty seats in your vehicle.
For normal usage budget, set
an amount for weekly gas. Do not go above that
amount. If the price rises, only pay the same amount as you
normally budget for. If it drops, only pay the same amount. This
way you will be motivated to save gas.
Another way to handle the high cost of
fuel is to buy less dollars at each pump.
Do not fill up or
even pay out your weekly fuel allowance when the price is too high, as this
triggers fuel companies to perceive that the consumer is willing to
pay high pump prices. You might have to spend your weekly allowance
for fuel in several different pumping stations over the week. This signals fuel
companies who see cash flow loss that the price they have put at the
pumps to be too high.
Gas companies seem to like to quickly raise the prices
on Thursday and Friday and slowly lower them on Sunday and Monday.. To
counteract this if you have to travel on the weekend - fill
up your tank on either Wednesday or Thursday before they
raise the prices.
Combine errands into one trip.
Consolidate trips to destinations that are near one another.
Sit down and examining how many regular car trips you make in a week. Make a list of
things that need to be done using your car. Most of these things can be saved to do
on only one day of the week. (shopping, banking, hair care, etc.) By careful consolidation
car trip planning you should be able to
decrease the number of trips by one-half.
Most people use a vehicle on a weekly basis just to do their banking and go shopping.
Consider doing your shopping and banking on the Internet.
When shopping for an item - do your research on the
Internet. Buy on-line. If you want to buy locally,
call ahead
to see if the item is available - then make only one shopping stop
for that item.
Will
high gas prices stimulate on-line shopping? Will high gas prices
stimulate buying locally produced products like locally-grown food?
Once you arrive, park in a convenient location if
possible and walk between destinations.
Save errands for one afternoon and plan your trip so you don't retrace your route. You not
only save gas this way, but reduce wear-and-tear on your car.
The USA consumes 400 million gallons of gasoline every day
If you are fortunate to live close to the US/Canadian border, then
you have the opportunity to
purchase gasoline at less than you would pay for it in Eastern
Ontario.
For instance, on June 2, 2014 the Eastern Ontario price for a litre
of gas was about $1.38 and in Ogensburg, Alexandria Bay and Massena
the price for a gallon of gasoline was $3.64. Taking into the cost
of a bridge toll both ways and the exchange rate the saving for a
purchase of 30 litres is about $8.60 Cdn.
Drive your car wisely and maintain it properly.
The way you drive and take care of your car can make a big difference in your gas mileage.
Use ethanol enhanced fuel. This
fuel contains a percentage of ethanol which does not harm today's modern car engines. Buying this fuel in effect reduces slightly the need for oil based gasoline and
besides it burns cleaner and does not pollute the environment as much as ordinary
gasoline. Although using ethanol enhanced fuel slightly lowers
your miles per gallon usage, it does lower the need for petroleum
based fuels, increasing the supply and providing impact to lower the
overall price of gasoline.
Note: Ontario says an average of 10 % ethanol will be in
gasoline sold in Ontario
Andrew Daugulis, a Queen’s University
in scientist in Kingston Ontario Canada has developed
and sold a method to more quickly make ethanol, a clean-burning renewable fuel used
in gasoline to improve vehicle performance
FYI
in Scotland - www.petrolprices.com
is
now about
$2.40 Cdn/litre - approx $8.80 US /gallon October 23, 2016
If you go on vacation and want to travel long distances, consider
renting a car that has better gas mileage than the one you usually drive.
If you can rent from a rental agent that provides per day rental at unlimited mileage it
might be more attractive that driving your the personal gas guzzler. Besides most cars
that you rent have mileages less than 30,000 km and are in fairly good shape and should
get good gas mileage.
Try to go on vacations on bus trips. It is a
great way to meet new people who have similar interests. And there
is no hassle looking for parking at your destination.
If you work in an industry or service whereby the work that you provide can be provided
by telecommuting then ask your boss if this is possible. Saving even one or two days out
of five depending up how far you usually commute will save lots of gas, money and time
over one year. Telecommuting or working from home is
the growing trend. With the advent of company
chat
rooms, even conferencing or meetings are possible without using gas.
What can I do to save money when buying gas?
Shop around for the best gas price. There are now lots of Internet sites
that will tell you where to find the lowest gas prices in a particular city. Gas
prices are set mainly from the wholesale price of gasoline. The barrel head price of oil is one
indicator of the rise or fall of prices in four weeks time, but if you want to know if the
prices will rise in two weeks - check the current wholesale price. As a rule of
thumb - prices of 2.51 cents US/gallon are high and usually will cause prices to be
$1.00 plus
cents/litre. Prices lower than 2.25 cents/ US gallon will reflect a pump price to be less
than 95 cents in about 2 weeks.
When the pump prices are uncomfortably high do not
fill up your tank but with only a set amount of money like $10.00 or
$15.00. Shop around, when individual gas stations find gross
revenues are being reduced, they have a tendency to lower the price
per litre.
What can I do to get better gas mileage when I drive?
You can greatly improve your mileage by having your car
serviced regularly and by driving wisely. Any of these
eighteen points can
help improve your mileage:
Go easy on the brakes and gas pedal.
Avoid "jackrabbit" starts by accelerating gradually whenever possible. Also,
anticipate stops to avoid sudden braking.
Avoid long idles. Turn off the engine if
you anticipate a lengthy wait of over 3 minutes like when waiting at a train crossing for a train to
pass. It is cheaper to stop the engine and restart it if the wait time
is longer that 1 minute. Instead of idling at a drive-up window, park the car and go in. Idling burns more gas than
restarting the engine. Limit car warm ups in winter.
Don't carry unneeded items in the trunk.
Extra weight decreases gas mileage. Also, reduce drag by placing items inside the car or
trunk rather than on roof racks.
Personally lose some
weight. Yes, if you are overweight and need to lose
a few pounds - do it and you will save gas because the weight in the
car you are driving will be reduced. We know that there are a high
percentage of people who live in North America who are definitely
overweight... what a great incentive to lose a few pounds when
you rationalize it by saying you can save a few dollars on fuel as
you lose some of your personal weight,
Note: The only way to make cars travel further on less energy, a
report says, is to make them smaller and lighter. You gain one
mile per U.S. gallon for every 400 pounds you shed.
In cold weather check the oil level in your engine.
Cold weather starting does not allow the car engine to heat up quickly enough to
seal the engine parts. Thus more oil is used. When a car has less than the
desirable amount of oil lubricating the moving parts, it uses more energy (gasoline) to move the
parts and thus you use more gas.
Avoid high speeds.
You can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at
100 km rather than 120 km.
Use your air conditioning only when necessary.
Roll down the windows or open the air vents to keep your car comfortable on those
not-so-hot days when traveling at city speeds.
Use overdrive. If your car is equipped
with overdrive gearing (on 5-speed manual transmissions and 4-speed automatic
transmissions), be sure to make use of the overdrive gear as soon as your speed is high
enough. If you have a manual transmission, the lower the shift speed, the better the fuel
economy. Your owner's manual will give you further information.
Keep tires properly inflated and aligned.
Periodic wheel alignments and keeping tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure
can improve your gas mileage.
Get regular engine tune ups and car maintenance checks.
Tune ups improve performance as well as gas mileage. Check your owner's manual for
recommended maintenance schedules. By following the manufacturer's recommendations, you
should avoid fuel economy problems due to worn spark plugs, dragging brakes, low
transmission fluid, or the transmission not going into high gear.
Use the cruise control on your car to maintain a constant
speed if you have to commute to and from work on a
highway. If you have to commute over a long distance, you will be pleasantly
surprised how much gas you can save by using the cruise control to maintain a speed just
less than the speed limit allowed.
Keep windows closed when traveling at
highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.
In
general, the lowest octane in your area delivers the best
mileage. In general, playing with octane is best left to an
expert or automotive engineer.
Look 2 intersections ahead, adjust speed to avoid
stopping for red lights and traffic. When you stop, especially quickly, you are losing
major energy momentum. This is obviously more difficult during rush hour and emergencies.
Use hills to advantage, let the vehicle accelerate
going down a hill so momentum and coasting will help take you up the next.
Take the roof rack off
- If you’re not using your roof rack then remove it. They
affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag,
reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%.
On curves, slow down prior to the curve, and
accelerate slowly when half way through - both are safer and more are
a little easier on the gas consumption.
Every time you hit the brake, or just ride the brake - you are wasting gas. Do whatever
you can to adjust driving habits to avoid
braking whenever possible.
If you are driving along a high speed highway where
there are lots of large trucks - stay behind
one keeping up the same speed as the truck to
"draft". The truck breaks the air and you drive without air
resistance saving lots of gas.
Use Nitro found
at Scuba Diving Stations to fill your tires to about 35 psi. Nitro
fill allows me to run a higher PSI in the tires and it doesn't
expand and contract like regular air. It's used in Nascar tires so
they don't get hot and explode. Another benefit, I don't have to add
air as often. Nitro is a bigger molecule than regular air so it
doesn't escape as easily.
Wax your car so
that a can of soda easily slides down the hood or trunk. This is a sign
that air is passing over your car with little resistance. Reducing
the air flow friction can over long trips reduce the amount of gas
used.
What should I consider when buying a new car?
Understand your needs and buy accordingly. Get only the
options you really need. Optional equipment that adds weight to your car
can decrease your gas mileage (especially heavy options such as four-wheel drive).
Automatic transmissions generally degrade fuel economy. Larger engines and higher
horsepower typically result in lower gas mileage. If you need the additional power and
torque, be aware your gas mileage will suffer during all types of driving.
Check the gas mileage ratings of similar vehicles. Buy a
fuel efficient model in the size category that meets your needs. The
Federal Gas Mileage Guide, issued annually and free of charge at all auto dealerships,
compares gas mileage of similar models.
Effect and Conditions with the Average Fuel Economy
Reduction and Maximum Fuel Economy Reduction
Temperature* 20F vs 77F - 5.3% to 13%
Head Wind 20 mph - 2.3% to 6%
Hills/Mountains 7% road grade - 1.9% to 25%
Poor road Conditions* slush, snow, etc. Gravel, curves, - 4.3% to 50%
Traffic Congestion 20 vs 27 mph - 10.6% to 15%
Average Highway speed - 70 vs 55 mph N/A to 25%
Acceleration Rate "Hard" vs "Easy" - 11.8% to 20%
Wheel Alignment1/2 inch - <1% to 10%
Tire Type non-radial vs radial - <1% to 4%
Tire Pressure* 15 psi vs 26 psi - 3.3% to 6%
Air Conditioning Extreme Heat - 21% to N/A
Defroster* Extreme Use Analogous to A/C on some vehicles
Idling/Warmup* Winter vs Summer - Variable to 20%
Our thanks to the United States - EPA for their help
Do you want to know if you are
required to have your vehicle tested f or pollution emissions by the Ontario Government?
- check out Ontario Drive Clean
Gas Price Calculator
Do want to know the cost to fill your tank for a 600-mile run to Grandma's house? Check
out the Gas Price Calculator at ABCNews.com's travel section (
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/travel/
). Using figures supplied by AAA's Fuel Gauge Report, this handy tool spits out an
estimated cost based on mileage, type of vehicle and area of the USA. One caveat: Because
the site is not updated frequently, gas prices could be out of date.
Our thanks to Cliff Thornton, Integration Quality Assurance
e-mail: Cliff.Thornton@cognos.com
phone: (613) 738-1338 ext 5607 fax (613) 738-2706
for some of the suggestions for this page.
Purchase narrower tires with the same overall
diameter. Example:
I drive a 2002 model extended cab full size pickup with a V-8, 2WD,
automatic transmission. The OEM tire is P235/75R16. My actual fuel
mileage was approx. 17-18 imperial mpg city driving (country roads,
suburban roads and short distance on Hwy. 417 inside Ottawa city
limits). My driving style was about the speed limit, the occasional
sudden acceleration and I coast when possible
April of 2008 I replaced my worn out tires with tire LT215/85R16 and
upgraded my exhaust to a single, high-flow exhaust (a larger pipe
and muffler post-catalytic converter versus a dual exhaust which is
the common upgrade). My actual fuel mileage is now 20-21 mpg.
The old tire was 235mm wide, normal psi was 35 psi, maximum was 44
psi
New tire is 215mm wide, normal psi is 45 psi, maximum is 65 psi
Overall diameter of new tire is less than 3% larger than OEM tire
and similar weight therefore within specification and no noticeable
affect on speedometer or odometer or braking.
Many newer vehicles have wide low-profile tires for tight handling
and nice appearance. The average driver will never use the full
capability of these tires and as a result are paying more by lower
fuel economy and higher prices at tire replacement time.
Many light-duty truck drivers have alternative sizes available to
them however most dealers simply recommend the OEM size, it is an
easy sale. However with better fuel economy and better handling
while towing I fell many drivers would choose the alternate.
Brian McCormick - Ottawa
" I agree with much of what you said about gas
consumption however, it seems to me that the only way to really
reflect the TRUE COST of gas (which necessarily includes the
environmental cost), is to have it reflected in the price. Though
the government may not be fair in its pricing/taxing, it is the only
way to reflect the true cost.
Compared to the rest of the world, we have 'enjoyed' relatively low
gas prices... nevertheless, we complain complain complain without a
thought to the ramifications beyond price!
Lisa (and no, I do not work for the government or the oil industry)
"Another way to save quite a bit of gas , is to keep your car cleaned and waxed . As the wax will reduce air drag on the car, and allow the car to slice through the air more smoothly.
Another way is to improve the air intake to the engine by using better air filters, such as K&N air filters which allow more air to the intake."
Love your site. Thank you.
D.C.Lavallee
Persons wishing to tell us about other
ways to
save gasoline or other vehicle tips... Please e-Mail
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