How you drive and maintain your vehicle has a large impact on your fuel consumption. Similarly your commuting patterns can also change your fuel use. Reducing your fuel not only saves money but reduces your emissions and carbon-footprint. Use the tips below as often as you can and you'll start seeing results at your next fill-up.
Drive Efficiently
Slow Down and Save: For every 10 km/h you go over 90, fuel efficiency drops by 10%. Driving 120 on the highway instead of 90 is like paying 30% extra for gas.
Easy on the Pedal: Jackrabbit starts from one stoplight to the next save only 2.5 minutes per hour, but increase fuel consumption by 37%.
Smooth Sailing: On the highway, keeping a steady speed uses less fuel. Accelerate smoothly and avoid hard braking by leaving room between your car and the one in front.
Be Idle Free: Just 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. In 10 minutes the average car will burn through 300 ml of fuel (approx. 1/3 of a litre).
Warm Up on the Go: Today's cars shouldn't be idled to warm up, and too much idling can cause damage. Driving gently for the first few minutes lets your transmission, steering, and engine all warm up at once.
Combine Trips: Trips under 5 km are the most polluting because the engine and the pollution control system never reach peak operating temperature. Combining several trips into one can cut fuel use and emissions by 20 to 50%.
Travel Light: Every extra hundred pounds reduces fuel efficiency by up to 2%, so keep your trunk clear of unnecessary items, and in the winter remove all snow and ice.
Make the Most of Your Transmissions: Using overdrive at high speeds saves fuel and reduces engine wear. With a manual transmission, shifting up gently but quickly to higher gears allows the engine to work more efficiently.
Use a Fuel Consumption Display: If your car comes with a consumption computer, use it to get instant feedback on fuel use. Drivers who learn to adjust their habits can save up to 10% this way. If your vehicle doesn't have one, they're easy to install. The ScanGuage II is one model you can order online.
Maintain and Save
Tire Pressure: Just one tire under-inflated by 8 psi can increase fuel consumption by 4%, and reduce the life of the tire by 15 000 km. Check the pressure once a month.
Motor Oil: Using worn-out oil, or the wrong grade of oil, can increase fuel use by 2%. Change it regularly with the grade listed in your owners' manual. "Energy Conserving" brands can reduce friction, improving efficiency even more.
Air Filter: Fuel use can increase up to 10% when the air filter is clogged, because not enough air makes it to the combustions chambers. Check it on the same schedule as you change oil, or more often if you travel on dusty roads.
Tune Ups: Keeping your vehicle in tune can reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% and smog causing emissions by even more. Follow the schedule in your owners' manual.
Drive Less
Carpool: It saves money, reduces pollution, and creates a friendlier commute.
Let Someone Else do the Driving: Taking transit frees up time to read the paper, catch up on work, or chat with friends. And it's often cheaper than taking the car. Visit Thunder Bay Transit for route maps and NextBus for real-time arrival and departure times.
Get Active: Cycling or walking is a healthy alternative, especially for short gas-guzzling errands. In 20 minutes the average person can walk 2 km or bike 5 km.
Telecommute: Working from home is increasingly feasible and doing it just once a week can boost job satisfaction and productivity while cutting your commute emissions by 20%.
Download Files:
- For a printable ecoDriver tips card download it here (pdf).
- For a brochure on fuel efficient car purchasing click here (pdf).
- Pour obtenir des conseils ecoDriver en français, cliquez ici (pdf).
- Cliquez ici pour les conseils de conduite écoenergétiques du Québec.
Page last updated on Thursday, December 17, 2009
