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LiveSmart BC

Tips to Save on Fuel

Transportation accounts for 36 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia, and is the single largest source of personal emissions for most people. Find out your vehicle's annual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by visiting AirCare and clicking on the calculate your greenhouse gas emissions button.

10 Tips to Save on Fuel

  1. Increasing the tire pressure improves gas mileage at no cost.STAY TUNED UP AND PUMPED UP: If you regularly tune up your vehicle and maintain proper tire inflation you can reduce fuel consumption by 10 per cent. This will save the average driver $200 in fuel over a year.  A 20 per cent drop in tire pressure will increase fuel consumption by about 10 per cent. Check your tire pressure monthly and get your car tuned up after every 5,000 km.

  2. PICK UP A PACK OF FOUR LED TIRE PRESSURE LIGHTS: You know those little plastic caps you remove every time you pump up the tires? If you replace them with little light-up ones at least you'll never forget when it's time to pump up the pressure. The tiny computer inside each cap will register the optimal pressure level and light up when the pressure drops by as little as 4 psi, saving up to three per cent on fuel -- or $1.20 on a 40-litre fill-up -- over under-inflated tires.

  3. INSTALL A SCAN GAUGE: Learn how to drive your car more efficiently with real-time data from your car's engine with a scan gauge. It shows you how efficiently you're driving, helping you to improve your kilometres per litre and reduce costs. A scan gauge plugs into most cars and provides real-time trip data from your car's engine, including fuel economy and fuel rate. At the end of each trip you can review data including fuel used, trip fuel economy, driving time and average speed.

  4. SLOW DOWN: Reducing highway speed from 100 km/h to 90 km/h improves fuel economy by about 10 per cent and will save you $164 a year in fuel. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 50 per cent of the fuel consumed in city driving is used during acceleration. So reduce your acceleration to burn less fuel.

  5. IDLE LESS: Reducing idling by 10 minutes a day would save $52 in gas every year. When possible, consider turning your engine off when waiting to pick up friends or family at the airport, ferry, when shopping or picking up children from school.

  6. CARRY LESS: The more weight you carry in your car, the more fuel your vehicle burns. Avoid carrying heavy things you don't need like tools or roof racks.

  7. USE YOUR WINDOWS: By reducing how much you use air conditioning you can save fuel in the city or during low-speed driving.

  8. PLAN YOUR TRIPS: Try to combine errands to turn several small trips into one and avoid driving during peak rush hours when possible. It also helps to shop locally and to vacation close to home.

  9. PRACTICE SMART DRIVING HABITS: Aggressive driving - jackrabbit starts and short stops - reduces travel time by only four per cent (the equivalent of two and a half minutes out of a 60 minute trip), yet increases some toxic emissions by five times and fuel consumption by 37 per cent.

  10. CONSIDER OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS: You can walk, ride your bike, take the bus or car pool.