Monitoring Fuel Use and Prices

Sep 06, 2005 2 Replies

I use a site that monitors fuel prices and has a fuel log book that you can use for your vehicle. The data is returned in L/100km or MPG (Imperial) Heres the URL:

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And here's a sample of the summary for my vehicle (04 Forester 5spd):



Total Quantity Purchased (Litres) Total Cost ($) Average Price (c/L) Average Fuel Economy (MPG) Total # Fill-ups 1462.352 $1,339.90 0.923 30.91 43


or


Total Quantity Purchased (Litres) Total Cost ($) Average Price (c/L) Average Fuel Economy (L/100km) Total # Fill-ups 1462.352 $1,339.90 92.3 9.099 43


Best Tank: 37.44MPG (7.5L/100km) Worst: 20.08MPG (14L/100km)


1 Avoid High Speeds As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%. 2 Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%. 3 Keep Tires Properly Inflated Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%. 4 Use A/C Sparingly When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner. 5 Keep Windows Closed Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%. 6 Service Vehicle Regularly Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels. 7 Use Cruise Control Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas. 8 Avoid Heavy Loads Remove the sand bags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips. 9 Avoid Long Idles If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time. 10 Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

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