Skip to main content

Skip to navigation

The access keys for this page are:

LiveSmart BC

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. The 2.34 cents a litre carbon tax represents just 1.6 per cent of the current price of gasoline. If you reduce your gasoline consumption by 1.6 per cent through better fuel efficiency and driving a little less, you can offset the cost of the carbon tax completely on any car or truck.

Find out your vehicle's annual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by visiting AirCare and clicking on the calculate your greenhouse gas emissions button.

There are three main ways you can reduce your transportation-related emissions, and save on fuel:

  • Drive a little less
  • Improve the efficiency of the vehicle you use
  • Reduce the carbon content of the fuel

 

Tips to save fuel

  1. 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.

    Environment Minister Barry Penner increases the tire pressure is his hybrid, which improves gas mileage at no cost.
    Environment Minister Barry Penner increases
    the tire pressure in his hybrid, which improves
    gas mileage at no cost.

  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.
    Find out how much you can save by driving a little slower (PDF, 22KB)

  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. WALK OR RIDE: If you walk or ride your bike just 2.5 kilometres to work – approximately 30-35 minutes on foot - you can save more than $250 per year.
    Find out how much you can save by driving a little less (PDF, 83KB)

  9. TAKE TRANSIT: You can save over $500 per year by switching to transit, rather than driving to work. The $14 billion Provincial Transit Plan aims to double transit ridership.
    Find out how much you can save by driving a little less (PDF, 83KB)

  10. PARK IT AT HOME: Driving less also saves you money on parking costs. Cutting out just two hours of paid parking each week will save you from $100 to 400 per year, depending on where you park. Taking transit or walking to work can save you more than $500 a year in fuel depending on the distance you drive.

  11. CAR POOL: Take a carpool. The Jack Bell Ride-Share is a helpful resource for B.C. carpoolers.

  12. CAR SHARING: The way these work is fairly simple. Throughout the city there are hundreds of designated cars parked on the streets, just waiting to be driven. When a car is needed, members book the car closest to them online (some groups use mapping technology which allows them to see where each car is) and then using their key card or fob they can unlock it and drive it right away. Vancouver's two big car-sharing groups are the locally owned Co-operative Auto Network and Zipcar. In Victoria there's the Victoria Car Share Co-op, and Nelson is home to the Nelson Carshare Co-op.

  13. DRIVE SMART: 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 You can explore attractions close to home by visiting TourismBC.

  14. SMART DRIVING HABITS: According to the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency, 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. You can help the planet and save a lot of money by following these simple guidelines:
    • Give yourself enough time to get where you're going at the posted speed limit. The more consistent your speed, the more fuel you'll save.
    • Resist a fast take-off -- apply pressure to the pedal gently.
    • Anticipate stops by looking ahead to traffic lights to judge whether you will make it through the green or will need to stop.
    • When anticipating a stop, brake by applying constant, even pressure, and if the light is red, adjust your speed to enable you to arrive as it changes to green.

  15. ALTERNATIVE FUELS: The province is offering a range of tax rebates and exemptions for low-carbon fuels and to modify vehicles to use low-carbon fuels. Click here to use the BioFleet calculator to find out how much you can reduce your emissions by switching to biodiesel.

  16. FUEL EFFICIENT VEHICLES: By taking advantage of all of the provincial tax rebate programs and the BC Scrap-It Program, you could save money on the purchase of a new, highly fuel-efficient automobile. Click here for more information.

Click here for more info on fuel-efficient driving habits from the Government of Canada.