• Reduce unnecessary braking.
     
  • Reduce speeding - Fuel efficiency decreases by about 10% for every 10 km/h over 90 km/h.
  • Use cruise control on flat stretches of highway while keeping your speed below 100 km/h.
  • Avoid excessive idling - Idling wastes gas. Don't start your car until you are ready to go and keep winter engine warm-ups brief (1-3 minutes). If you must wait longer, turn the engine off.
  • Don't rev the engine - Revving the engine wastes gas. It may also dump gas on the cylinder walls, which can increase engine wear and overheat the vehicle's catalytic converter.
  • Drive smoothly - Accelerate slowly, avoiding "jackrabbit" starts and accelerate gently if you have an automatic transmission. If your vehicle is equipped with overdrive, use it at the appropriate speeds.
  • Avoid sudden starts and stops - Repeated starts and stops increase wear on your tires.
  • Consolidate trips - Vehicles burn more gas and emit far more pollutants in their first few minutes of operation because the emission control systems have not warmed up and reached peak efficiency.
  • Minimize drag - Driving with the windows open, using roof or rear mounted racks and carrying heavy loads increase vehicle drag. Remove heavy items from the vehicle when you don't need to carry them (i. e. sandbags in trunk over the summer).
  • A clean car body can reduce drag by up to 12 per cent thereby improving fuel economy.
  • Keep a regular maintenance schedule for your vehicle (oil and filter change, tune up, exhaust system, brakes, spark plugs, belts, hoses) to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize operating costs.
  • Balanced, rotated and well aligned tires perform better on the road and increase fuel efficiency.
  • Keep tires properly inflated (underinflated tires can increase fuel consumption by up to 8%).
  • Use a lighter weight multigrade oil in the fall - A heavy oil decreases engine efficiency, which can increase operating costs and emissions.
  • Don't overfill your gas tank - Gasoline vapours will escape when your tank is too full and contribute to smog.
  • Select the proper fuel for your vehicle as outlined in the owner's manual - Do not use a higher-octane gasoline than your vehicle engine needs. Higher-octane fuels are more harmful to the environment because they require more crude oil to produce than lower octane fuels.
  • Carpool where possible.
  • Walk, cycle or take the bus.

- Source: EcoAction Green Tips - Transportation and the Environment

  • Use Fuel Sense and save on gas!
  • High fuel prices are top of mind these days for everyone - The City of Edmonton is reminding all City drivers to use and maximize their Fuel Sense training when driving.
  • "All savings achieved by the City and its employees are appreciated by Council, our client departments and taxpayers. "  (Branch Manager, Mobile Equipment Services)
     
  • While Fuel Sense driver training has been successfully implemented with the highest fuel users in the corporation (approximately 400 Edmonton Transit Drivers and 800 Municipal drivers), all employees and their families with personal driving can use many of the principles and lessons taught in the course.

    "It's amazing how these lessons really help to reduce costs. The great thing is that there are multiple benefits to Fuel Sense: it helps you save money on gas and expensive vehicle repair, it helps reduce emissions into the environment, it's easy to teach to others and the lessons are all easy to use on a regular basis," says Bryan Payne, Supervisor, Fleet Safety.

Quick Tips for improved fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions

  • Try to "smooth" your driving - Accelerate and decelerate gradually, anticipate stops and starts for traffic lights, changing traffic speeds, and so on.
  • Ensure regular vehicle checkups - A poorly maintained vehicle uses up to 50% more fuel and produces up to 50% more GHG emissions than a vehicle that is serviced regularly.
  • Turn your car off - If you're running into a convenience store, waiting for a long train to pass by or waiting to pick up passengers, turn off the car. Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.
  • Fast starts and hard braking saves little time and increases fuel consumption and emissions - Tests showed fuel consumption increased by 39 per cent and some toxic emissions were five times higher with aggressive driving.
  • Check the tire pressure at least once per month - Underinflated vehicles use up to 3% more fuel.
  • Drive at posted speed limit. Increasing highway cruising speed from 90 km/hr to 120 km/hr will increase fuel consumption by about 20 percent.
  • Limit the use of your vehicle's air conditioner - In stop and go traffic, air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20%. Use your car's flow through ventilation, open a window or shut off air conditioning once the vehicle has cooled.
  • Reduce your vehicle weight - Additional weight decreases fuel efficiency. Clean out your trunk and remove unnecessary heavy items (i. e. sandbags).
  • Drive Smart. Plan your trips - Combine errands, avoid traffic jams, steep hills, and road construction.
  • Don't overfill your gas tank.
  • Use the right vehicle for the right reason - If possible use a lighter, smaller more fuel efficient vehicle for commuting and use the pick-up truck or mini-van when you needs lots of passenger or cargo space.
  • Remove ski and roof racks - They increase a vehicle's aerodynamic drag and make your vehicle less fuel-efficient.
  • Drive your vehicle less - Use public transit, carpool, bicycle or walk.
  • Did you know? - According to Environment Canada, there are approximately 15 millions cars and light trucks on Canadian roads. If you drive a car, it probably accounts for half your annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For example, a mid-sized sedan driven 20,000 kilometres a year produces about 4 tonnes of CO2, the main greenhouse gas.

 

  • A single city bus can take 40 vehicles off the road, save 70,000 litres of fuel and keep nine tonnes of pollutants out of the atmosphere each year. Try ride sharing or car/van pooling.
  • Average car produces enough GHGs to fill a two-storey home annually.

- Sources: Natural Resources Canada / Fleet Services, Mobile Equipment Services, City of Edmonton