Fuel Saving Tips

Fuel saving tips

Nova Scotian drivers can save money and contribute to cleaner air by using the maintenance and driving tips provided below.

Drive your vehicle for fuel-efficiency

  • On cold winter days, brush or scrape windows before turning on the car. The best way to warm up vehicles is to drive them. The wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires will warm up as the vehicle is driven.
  • Unload excess weight from vehicle trunks and roofs. On snowy days, remove snow piled on vehicles for safety and fuel economy.
  • Whenever possible, avoid drive-thrus. Idling can increase fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent.
  • Drive the speed limit or a bit below on the highway. Every 10 kilometres above the speed limit increases your fuel consumption by 10 per cent.
  • Avoid jackrabbit driving in the city. Rapid acceleration and hard braking is not only hard on tires, engine and brakes, it is hard on wallets, too. Jackrabbit driving can consume up to 35 per cent more fuel.
  • You will burn less gas if you remove things like outside storage compartments, roof racks and bike racks to make your car more aerodynamic.
  • Pick-up trucks benefit from box covers because they reduce drag, especially when driving on the highway.
  • Minimizing left turns can save fuel because you spend less time yielding to oncoming traffic.
  • Avoid rush hour. Even staggering your departure by 30 minutes can save a lot of time and reduce your emissions.
  • If you drive standard, get into high gear as quickly as you can to save fuel.
  • Take it easy on your car for the first 5 - 10 kms of your trip. This is when the car is warming up all its parts to get you optimum efficiency and monitor your emissions.
  • Use your cruise control on the highway and save fuel.
    Your engine won't have to work hard to speed up or slow down, which increases fuel efficiency. On hilly highways however, cruise control can use more gas.
  • Be a road surfer and stop jackrabbit driving. Hard acceleration and hard braking cause more stress on the engine, which then uses more fuel.
    Plus this kind of driving saves you, on average, 2 and a half minutes per hour, but guzzles up to 35% more fuel.
  • Warm up your car for maximum of 30 seconds. Cars built after 1995 don't need to sit and warm up for longer than this.
    You need to drive the car for it to reach its optimum efficiency.

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Maintain your vehicle for fuel-efficiency

  • Check tire pressure monthly. Under-inflated tires can increase fuel consumption by up to four per cent. The correct tire pressure can be found on the inside of the car door jambs, in owners manuals, or on the inside of glove compartments.
  • Change air filters regularly. Dirty air filters can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 per cent.
  • Check your gas cap. If it's loose, damaged, or missing, gas can vaporise and escape, resulting in wasted fuel.
  • Switching from steel wheels to alloy or aluminum wheels reduces the weight of your car and improves handling, which improves fuel economy.
  • Use a synthetic, low viscosity engine oil. The best oils for fuel economy carry the label "Energy Conserving "and can save you as much as 2.7% in fuel consumption.
  • Ensuring proper wheel alignment makes your vehicle run more smoothly by reducing rolling resistance. This reduces fuel consumption and helps your tires last longer.

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Buy for fuel-efficiency

  • Don't opt for 4 wheel drive unless you really need it, and need it often. It requires a lot more fuel to operate and maintain.
  • To buy a vehicle that's easy on gas, check the EnerGuide label at the dealership - you can compare mileage and annual fuel costs and make a fuel-conscious decision!
  • Opt for manual transmission in your vehicle.
    Why? So you can shift to a higher gear sooner, avoid high revving and downshift as much as possible to avoid excessive braking.

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What else can I do to save fuel and money?

  • Walk or take the bus for trips of less than five kilometres.
  • Develop a workplace carpool. Regular carpools cut down on fuel costs, parking costs and traffic congestion.
  • Plan the week's errands in advance to avoid making several small trips.
  • To reduce emissions, ask your car rental company if they rent hybrids.

For more fuel-saving tips, visit DriveWiser.ca