By Sam Belo:
Although fuel prices in the Philippines are at an all-time high, you can take action to maximize fuel efficiency, save energy, and take steps to conserve fuel.
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1. Avoid Long Idling
However, turning off the engine may disable vehicle functions, including safety features like airbags. Drivers should be certain to only utilize this strategy in situations where there is no possibility of collision. Running your engine at idle consumes roughly half a gallon to about a gallon of fuel every hour, not to mention the carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere. This means you're burning about 1.067 to 2.13 ounces of fuel every minute you're idle. With modern cars being more efficient nowadays, you're likely to burn less fuel by simply turning off your engine, then restarting it when you have to move again. Plus, leaving your engine idle for too long is illegal.
2. Clean Out the Trunk and Eliminate Unnecessary Weight
Vehicles get much better mileage when they’re not loaded with unnecessary weight. Every 200 pounds of additional weight trims one mile off fuel efficiency. Most drivers accumulate material in their vehicle trunks, some of it unnecessary. Instruct drivers to remove all non-required items from the vehicle, such as unneeded tools or materials.
3. Keep Tires Inflated to the Correct Pressure
Buy tire gauges for your drivers so they can ensure tires are inflated to the manufacturer’s recommended level. One underinflated tire can cut fuel economy by 2% per pound of pressure below the proper inflation level. One out of four drivers, on average, drives vehicles with one or more underinflated tires. When a tire is underinflated by 4-5 psi below the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure, for example, vehicle fuel consumption increases by 10% and, over the long haul, causes a 15% reduction in tire tread life.
4. Only top up your tank with as much fuel as you need
Only topping up with what you need and avoiding having a full tank means the fuel you do have goes slightly further. To make it easier to judge the correct amount of fuel, keep a notebook in the glove box, or keep a record on your phone. When you fill up, write down how much fuel you put in to get from A to B. Note this in litres, not in pounds, as the price is always changing. Some fuel tanks can take up to 109 liters, so that’s a significant amount of extra weight to carry around.
5. Don’t Buy Premium Fuel
Resist the urge to buy higher-octane gas for “premium” performance, unless the vehicle requires it. Octane has nothing to do with gasoline performance; it merely indicates the volatility factor in the combustion chamber. Unless your vehicle owner’s manual specifically requires it, don’t use premium fuel. Fuel costs could be cut as much as 10 cents per gallon by using regular fuel instead of premium.
6. Use Air Conditioning Sparingly
Use the air conditioner only when needed. The air conditioner puts extra load on the engine, forcing more fuel to be used. An air conditioner is one of the biggest drains on engine power and fuel economy. It can reduce gas consumption 5 to 20 percent, depending on the type of vehicle and the way it is driven. Don’t use it as a fan to simply circulate air. If it’s just too hot to bear without A/C, keep it set around 72 degrees. Use the vent setting as much as possible.
In addition, parking in the shade increases fuel economy since not as much gas will evaporate when the car is out of the sun. Air conditioning won’t need to work as hard to cool down the interior.
7. Anticipate Traffic Flow
Anticipate traffic conditions and accelerate and decelerate smoothly — it’s safer, uses less gas, and reduces brake wear. In stop-and-go commuter traffic, look two or more vehicles ahead as you keep an eye on the driver in front of you. This enables you to accelerate and decelerate more gradually. By anticipating a traffic light change, an upcoming stop sign, or the need to slow down for a curve, you can avoid or reduce brake use and save gasoline in the process.
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8. Avoid Aggressive Driving
Simply limiting quick acceleration and fast braking can increase fuel economy. When accelerating, pretend you have a fresh egg underneath your right foot. A light, steady pressure helps to minimize the amount of fuel consumed and maintain a more moderate and steady speed.
By not driving aggressively, drivers can save up to 20% in fuel economy. Why hurry just to wait? This is sometimes called 'defensive driving'. Not only should it help you use less fuel, but it tends to be safer too.
9. Monitor Preventive Maintenance Schedules
Proper maintenance increases a vehicle’s fuel economy. For example, unaligned wheels that fight each other waste fuel. Keep the air filter clean. A dirty filter clogs an engine’s air supply, causing a higher fuel-to-air ratio and thereby increasing gasoline consumption. Keeping your vehicle in a good condition should help to cut costs. This includes booking it for regular services and getting things fixed when they’re not working properly.
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Sources: https://www.confused.com/on-the-road/cost-of-motoring/driving-tips-to-help-improve-fuel-economy
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