The price of gas is at an all-time high; now more than ever, Canadians are trying to save money on fuel. Many people are even looking to trade in their vehicle for an electric or just a more fuel-efficient option. Before you decide to take a big jump like trading in your vehicle, consider trying out some fuel-saving tips. Regardless of what vehicle you’re driving and how fuel-efficient it may or may not be, there are ways to save on fuel through driving habits and maintenance. In this article, we’re going to go over 10 ways to save on fuel costs in 2022.
1. Don’t Floor the Gas Pedal
The way in which you drive plays a massive role in the amount of fuel you burn. It’s been estimated that driving at 90km/h compared to driving 120km/h can save you 20% more fuel. Saving 20% on fuel over 5 years is a massive amount of savings so unless you’re always in a rush to get somewhere, consider slowing down your driving.
2. Accelerate and Decelerate Moderately
Going with the first tip, the harder you make your engine work, the more fuel it’s going to burn through. So the way you accelerate and decelerate when you’re driving plays a huge part in the fuel being used. When accelerating, it’s best to gradually put your foot on the pedal, still allowing you to accelerate at a good rate without holding anyone up behind you. The same goes for when you decelerate, if you see there’s a red light ahead, take your foot off the pedal and let yourself gradually slow down.
3. Be Consistent With Your Speed
If you want to keep your fuel costs low with whichever vehicle you’re driving, try and keep your driving speed consistent. If you’re constantly on and off the brakes and throttle, you’re making your engine do more work, causing more fuel to be used. If you struggle to keep your foot off the accelerator, consider using the cruise control function that comes with most vehicles.
4. Anticipate Your Driving
When you’re driving, you should always be checking to see what’s ahead so you have plenty of time to act accordingly. Not only is this great for your own safety but it’s also a fuel-efficient way to drive. For instance, say there is a bus stopped ahead of you on a two-lane road, rather than waiting until the last moment and getting stuck behind the bus, switch over to the passing lane and make your pass. This way you never had to come to a stop and then accelerate again, causing you to use less gas. This may seem like a tiny bit of gas saved, but if you can do this regularly, over time you will save a sizeable amount of money on fuel.
5. Lighten the Load in Your Vehicle
The more weight you have in your vehicle, the more fuel you’re going to burn through. Therefore, if you find yourself leaving tools or recreational equipment in your car that you don’t need to have, take it out and lighten your vehicle. This also goes for roof racks, while these aren’t necessarily super heavy, they do make your vehicle far less aerodynamic. So if you’re in the off-season and don’t need to have your roof rack on, take it off and put it back when you need it.
6. Check Your Tire Pressure
It’s important to check your tire pressure every few months to ensure you're not driving on soft tires. Driving on under-inflated tires creates resistance which results in needing to use more energy to move the vehicle. Newer vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems to warn you if any of your tires are low but you shouldn’t only rely on this. Most gas stations have air pumps where you can check your tire pressure and fill them up if need be.
7. Use a Fuel-Efficient Drive Mode
In newer vehicles, it’s common to have different drive modes depending on the mood and location of where you’re driving. As you could probably guess, you should be using the “Economy mode” if there is one to save on fuel. If saving on fuel is a priority, the last mode you’d want to be using is “Sport mode”.
8. Use the Correct Fuel Type
Some vehicles recommend using premium fuel while others require it. If your vehicle requires premium fuel, you need to bite the bullet and pay for the more expensive fuel. However, if it’s recommended, you’ll have no issues using the standard 87-grade octane gas.
9. Don’t Idle, Turn off Your Car
If you’re going to be parked for a while or you know your friend who is consistently late is going to keep you waiting as your in there driveway, turn off your car. Not only is this good for the environment but also for your fuel usage. Newer vehicles include a stop/start function and will shut off if parked for an extended period of time.
10. Keep on Top of Vehicle Maintenance
A well kept engine is an engine that will run efficiently. It’s your responsibility to ensure that you keep up with your vehicles maintenance so your engine is running at the highest level of fuel efficiency. If you notice that you’re going through more fuel than usual, this could be an indicator that something is wrong with your engine. In this case, it’s best to go get it checked at a mechanic and resolve the issue.
