{"id":13648,"date":"2019-01-13T03:04:05","date_gmt":"2019-01-13T08:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/Life-Insurance-Blog\/how-to-save-at-the-pump-during-the-winter\/"},"modified":"2019-01-13T03:04:05","modified_gmt":"2019-01-13T08:04:05","slug":"how-to-save-at-the-pump-during-the-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/2019\/01\/13\/how-to-save-at-the-pump-during-the-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas During the Winter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"6<\/p>\n

Winter driving can take quite a toll on your car (pun intended). Not only is it messy, slippery, and slow \u2013 it can also be very expensive.<\/em><\/p>\n

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that a drop in temperature from 24\u00b0C to 7\u00b0C can increase fuel consumption by 12\u00a0to\u00a028 per cent. And with snow, slush and ice on the road, your car works harder to get you where you need to go, meaning that you\u2019re paying more at the pump during the winter than the summer. Even hybrid cars lose efficiency as temperatures drop below freezing.<\/p>\n

Cold air is denser, which increases drag on your car and reduces gas mileage. Driving slow and diligently means more time spent on the road, and more gas being used. And of course, heaters and defrosters use additional power, leading to more fuel consumption.<\/p>\n

But since avoiding winter weather isn\u2019t really an option for Canadians, here are some ways to stretch your dollar this season, and save on gas for your car:<\/p>\n

1. Inflate your tires regularly<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dense, cold air can cause your tires to lose pressure and resist rolling in slush or snow. As a result, your car is working harder to move through the snow. Check your tires\u2019 air pressure regularly and keep it at the level recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.<\/p>\n

2. Know there\u2019s no need to \u201cwarm up\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Warming your car for five to 10 minutes to \u201cget the engine going\u201d has been a widespread custom for a long time. But the fact of the matter is that most cars nowadays don\u2019t need to be warmed up for more than 30 seconds. Idle time just means more fuel consumption for zero mileage. Older cars may need longer, but no more than two or three minutes.<\/p>\n

3. Get a winter tune up<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This means making sure everything is running at peak efficiency to ensure the best mileage on your car, no matter the conditions. Have your mechanic take a look at your battery, check your wheel alignment, and change your oil.<\/p>\n

4. Get all your errands done in one trip<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Instead of making several short trips on various days, choose a block of time in one day and combine your errand trips into one. Plan out your itinerary to ensure you use the shortest route with the least amount of stops. This will help to keep your engine warmer and ultimately save gas.<\/p>\n

5. Avoid carrying too much weight<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Your engine uses more energy to move a heavy vehicle. Remove unnecessary items from the trunk, or external accessories like bike racks. Removing roof racks can also decrease wind resistance and reduce the amount of gas you use.<\/p>\n

6. Drive carefully<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a given, considering how unsafe winter road conditions can be. But either way, it\u2019s important to note that aggressive driving and hard braking uses more gas. Keep a light foot and always adjust your speed to the conditions. If you can avoid driving until the roads have been cleared, you\u2019ll probably save your car the trouble of having to exert extra energy to plough through.<\/p>\n

Looking for more ways to save on your car all year long? One of the best ways\u00a0is to\u00a0cut your auto insurance bill. Compare car insurance quotes online at RateSupermarket.ca\u00a0and find the lowest rates for the car insurance you need.<\/p>\n

This post has been updated.<\/strong><\/em><\/small><\/p>\n

The post 6 Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas During the Winter appeared first on MoneyWise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter driving can take quite a toll on your car (pun intended). Not only is it messy, slippery, and slow \u2013 it can also be very expensive. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":578,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/578"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13648\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}