Real tips to reduce your fuel costs
A couple of days back, I got an email from a cousin who suggested a few practical tips to get more out of the fuel we buy. Here they are :
1. Only buy or fill up your car or bike in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the fuel, when it gets warmer petrol expands. So, buying in the afternoon or in the evening, your litre is not exactly a litre . In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature play an important role. 1 degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business . But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps .
2. Another most important tip is to fill up when your tank is HALF FULL . The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank the less is the air occupying its empty space. Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine.
3. Another useful information is to avoid filling up if there is a fuel truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy. Most likely the petrol/diesel is being stirred up as the fuel is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money
In addition to these tips on filling petrol, I thought of adding some more. These have been repeated ad nauseam whenever there is a crisis and then everything is forgotten.
1. Take a walk rather than your car or bike if the distance is less than a km. We are so used to our vehicles that we have lost our capacity and the feel to walk. Some people have even forgotten how to walk! While this step might not appear to save fuel, it will help us get in touch with mother earth and also become aware of the small things that are present. Needless to say, it is also healthy.
2. Pooling: Use your vehicle to drop your friend’s son or daughter when you drop yours and your friend can do so another day. It not only saves fuel but also creates an opportunity for relationships to form between the kids and between you and the kids. And there is no extra bother, as well! Likewise, we can take our collegues along to office and take turns while doing so. This will also, to some extent, reduce the congestion on the road not to talk about lower fuel consumption.
3. Reducing the usage of AC in the car or even at homes: The implications on fuel consumption and on electricity bills are clearly obvious!
I invite your comments and further tips as well!
