Fuel prices have reached new records in recent weeks. Here are some recommendations to use less fuel:
- Maintaining your vehicle: Certainly a cost but a poorly maintained vehicle can consume more than 2l/100km. Check the motor engine and your filter.
- If air conditioning is not necessary, turn it off. This increases your consumption by 20%. If you still want to use it, first open the windows to exhaust hot air. The temperature in the car will drop faster and air conditioning will need less energy.
- Do not overload your vehicle: Empty your trunk of everything that is not essential.
- Turn off the engine if you are stopped for more than 20 seconds. You’ll save over 10% fuel. Many vehicles are now equipped with a start-stop system.
- Avoid traffic jams and keep a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid braking and start that increase your consumption
- Limit your speed: Driving at 120km/h instead of 130 will save you 2 liters of fuel per hour, while the loss of time will be minimal.
- Watch your tachometer: Go to top gear at 2000 rpm for a diesel, 2,500 rpm if you drive with gasoline. Downshift when the regime falls below 1,200 or 1,300 rpm
- Check your tire pressure regularly. A tire loses about 0.1 bar of pressure per month. The ideal pressure is around 2.5 bar. Too little pressure reduces grip. The car will need more energy to move forward.
- Buy a low consumption car
To motivate your employees in the way of eco-driving, organize a contest with incentives. You can easily measure the progress with online tools of your fuel cards or leasing companies.
Source: L’echo
Categories : Advices | Tags : CO2 emission, Fuel | 0 commentaire associé
Traditionally, companies decrease the cost of fuel in two ways. Firstly, they negotiate better prices with their supplier. Secondly, they try to decrease the number of miles. Video conferencing, home working, car pooling and public transportation are some well known ways to reach this goal.
A third solution saves fuel in a structural way, while maintaining the level of miles. The solution exists in having ecological driving lessons for employees.
There are many (small) suppliers and driving schools which offer green drivings lessons. It is key that employees who follow these lessons, will still benefit from the education on the long term, in order to have the company financially benefit from it.
One shot
green driving education classes should be avoided.
To guarantee the long term effects of green driving lessons, two aspects are crucial: information while driving and follow-up after driving.
The following two companies make sure drivers are aware of the consequences of their driving. The return on investment in the long term is therefore positive, which makes this type of green driving lessons an interesting solution.
Keydriving and Drivolution
They make sure:
- drivers are confronted with hard data while driving (by adding a laptop in the car)
- drivers have a follow-up on the long term via webtools and personal sessions
- the fleet managers of the companies get feedback
By doing all this, fuel economy of 10% to 20% is achieved. On top of that, less accidents occur and CO2 emissions are reduced.
Categories : Advices | Tags : Car Fleet, CO2 emission, Fuel, Travel | 0 commentaire associé
The Belgian Ministry of Finance has released the evolution of average prices of fuel (prices are VAT included).
Source: SPF Finance
As indicated in the price of a barrel of Brent, during the last few months prices are approaching the highest price level in the last ten years.
As often discussed in this blog, there are many solutions to decrease the fuel budget on your business.
Regarding prices:
- Find the cheapest stations of your region here
- Benefit from the discounts on fuel cards
Regarding consumption:
Our consultants are available for more information on how to implement these measures while taking into account the characteristics and desires of your business.
Categories : News | Tags : Fuel | 0 commentaire associé
Exxon Mobil, which operates in Belgium 265 stations, has decided to offer some for sale, reported the newspaper Echo. The American oil company, owner of the Esso brand, intends to test a new business model that involves the sale of service stations, confirmed the management of Exxon Belgian. A first batch of 49 sites in Brussels and in Hainaut, is to be sold on the market. If successful, other stations could follow.
This was due, according to an industry source quoted by the newspaper, by the desire held by some majors to decrease the risk due to the danger of pollution at stations and at the time of fuel supply.
The group, which don’t want to leave Belgium, could eventually become a supplier of fuel. Among the possible buyers, The Echo cites potential buyers such as Lukoil (which took over Jet in 2007) and Delek (Texaco), as well as independent distributors, Octa+ or Martens.
Categories : News | Tags : Fuel | 0 commentaire associé
An average car tyre should be inflated with 2.2 to 2.5 bar (31.9 to 36.2 psi). When you know normal tyres lose 0.1 bar of inflation pressure each month, within half a year, your car automatically loses 25% of its tyre pressure. With these numbers in mind, it’s not difficult to imagine that no less than 9 out of 10 cars which you see driving around, have an incorrect tyre pressure level. The difficulty is that noone can see the difference between a correct and incorrect tyre inflation with the naked eye.
Most drivers do not check the ideal tyre pressure level (which is mostly indicated on the inside of the car door). On the other hand, car mechanics tend to over-inflate the tyres. Both over- and under-inflation could lead to dangerous situations while driving.
The impact of the wrong pressure of the tyres on the fuel consumption of the car is huge. 7% is saved on fuel when the tyre pressure is brought to the ideal level.
Advantages of a correct tyre pressure are consequent:
- Save on fuel
- Decrease CO² emission
- Prevent accidents
- Increase lifetime of tyres
We advise you to check regularly (at least every two months) your tyre pressure. Nonetheless you and/or your company will save money, but moreover your avoid the risk for having a serious accident due to bad inflated tyres.
The problem of unappropriated car tyre pressure is even higher for company cars as people will tend to be less conscientious as they are not the owner of the car. E-CO² is a Belgian firm which visits companies’ car parks to optimize their car tyre pressure. Check out their website.
Categories : Advices | Tags : Car Fleet, CO2 emission, Fuel | 1 commentaire associé
