A Loonie Saved is a Loonie Earned
Ouch! This past weekend I had no choice but to fill-up both of our vehicles. 154 litres later I bet that fuel cost us more than groceries! It’s time to think of ways to save on fuel:
1. Be a smooth operator by avoiding aggressive driving. Observe the posted limits while maintaining a constant speed on the road. No more Mr. Heavy foot (aka M. Piedlourde for all my fellow “Kids in the Hall” fans)! Try to accelerate and brake smoothly.
2. Maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance. Regular tune-ups, oil changes, new air filters and properly inflated tires all help to cut fuel consumption. According to Transport Canada you can easily save up to 10% by doing these simple things.
3. Don’t just sit there. A vehicle that idles for 2 minutes is the equivalent of traveling 1.61kms (or 1 mile). Contrary to what some of us were taught in the old days the best way to warm up a newer vehicle on a cold day is just to drive it. There also isn’t an issue with stopping and restarting your engine for quick in and out errands. Restarting an engine will use less fuel than 10 seconds for idling.
4. Combine your errands. Making an afternoon adventure for all your errands is better than several small trips spaced out of the course of a few days.
5. Lose some weight. A US group discovered that a loaded roof rack can decrease fuel economy by about 5%. Also every 45.36 kgs you pack into your car reduces fuel economy by 1-2%. Hmmm is this a good reason to suggest that I vacation solo next time?
6. Plug-in and save. Hybrid-electric vehicles that combine an electric motor with a cleaner, gasoline-powered engine are the most efficient vehicles on the road. The Chevrolet Volt has a battery range of about 61 kms between charges. I could drive back and forth to work for three days and never use a drop of gasoline! Thinking of a bigger road trip? With a full charge and a full tank of gas the Volt can travel up to 611 kms!
Stop by Boyer Chevrolet Buick GMC to check out the Volt or our other fuel-efficient vehicles.