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Minimizing Fuel Use at Home and at Work 
On this page you will find useful information on operating your vehicle in a more efficient manner – one that will provide you with all of the following benefits:
- Save money on the operation of your vehicle
- Reduce your reliance on fossil fuels
- Spare the air that you breathe
- Minimize your contribution to global climate change
Learn why shutting off your engine (except when stopped in traffic) is better than letting it idle for longer than 10 seconds. With prices at the pump over a dollar per litre, there’s no better time than the present to reduce idling, maintain our vehicles, and drive less aggressively – actions that will help us save fuel.
Download the DriveSmart brochure by clicking [here].
Look for reminders to reduce idling around town, and DriveSmart to save fuel and prevent air emissions now.
This page contains the following topics:
On January 17, 2005 Burnaby City Council approved the creation of a new education-based initiative to raise awareness for the need to reduce unnecessary vehicle idling in Burnaby. This initiative is intended to complement senior government programs to limit the production of greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2 – a major contributor to global climate change.
In Fall of 2005, the City of Burnaby launched the DriveSmart Program - a program to help City staff, residents and commercial vehicle operators become more conscious of their vehicles’ fuel use. The primary focus of the DriveSmart Program is to raise awareness of unnecessary vehicle idling – that is, idling that is not required for our safety, or for the safe operation of vehicles or equipment. The secondary focus of the DriveSmart program is to raise awareness of good driving and vehicle maintenance practices that will further reduce fuel use and air emissions.
- Idling produces unnecessary pollution that contributes to climate change, smog and health problems. This pollution directly affects the health of our children and other vulnerable members of our community, such as the elderly and people with respiratory problems.
- Idling wastes fuel and is a complete waste of money. Letting your car idle burns gasoline needlessly and gets you zero kilometres to the litre.
- Idling is not good for vehicle engines. Contrary to popular belief, most modern engines experience MORE wear-and-tear by being allowed to idle for extended periods of time. (Source: Natural Resources Canada.)
Idling Myth No. 1: The engine should be warmed up before driving away.
Contrary to popular belief, idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to actually drive away.
As a rule of thumb, if you are going to be stopped for 10 seconds or more, except in traffic, turn your engine off. Even in the winter, today’s modern engines require no more than 30 seconds of warm-up time before driving away.
Idling only warms the engine, not the wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires. These parts also need to be warmed up, and the only way to do this is to get the vehicle moving on the road. (Source: Natural Resources Canada.)
Idling Myth No. 2: Idling is Good for Your Engine.
An idling engine is an engine not operating at its peak temperature, which means that fuel combustion is incomplete. This leaves fuel residues that can condense on cylinder walls, where they can contaminate oil and damage engine components.
When fuel residues deposit on spark plugs over time, the average plug temperature drops and plugs become fouled more quickly. This, in turn, can increase fuel consumption by 4% to 5%. Excessive idling can also allow water to condense in the vehicle’s exhaust, which can lead to corrosion and reduce the life of the exhaust system. (Source: Natural Resources Canada.)
Excessive idling can cause damage to both gasoline and diesel powered engines.
Idling Myth No. 3: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more fuel.
Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components such as the battery and starter motor. Component wear-and-tear caused by restarting the engine is estimated to add $10 per year to the cost of driving - money that will likely be recovered several times over in fuel savings from reduced idling.
As a rule of thumb, if you are going to be stopped for 10 seconds or more, except in traffic, turn your engine off. (Source: Natural Resources Canada.)
Vehicle Operation
 Over-acceleration burns more fuel.
- Aggressive driving tactics, like over-acceleration and sharp braking on a regular basis, not only put unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle, but also increase the level of auto emissions in the atmosphere.
- Idling your vehicle with the air conditioner on (to keep the interior cool) can increase emissions by 13%. Use your car's air conditioner as little as possible, as it uses more than 4 litres of gasoline for each full tank you burn.
- Don't carry unnecessary excess weight in the trunk of your car. Excess weight increases fuel consumption and adds emissions to the atmosphere.
- Plan errands to make several stops, rather than making several trips. This shortens total distance and keeps the car's catalytic converter hot for the whole trip. The catalytic converter is most effective when it's hot, so you pollute least after 10 minutes of operation.
- Don't waste fuel by sitting in the drive-through lane at your favourite fast-food outlet. Park and go inside instead.
Vehicle Maintenance
 Maintenance improves fuel efficiency.
- Make sure you change your oil regularly and that your exhaust system is working correctly, as a poorly tuned engine uses up to 15 percent more energy when idling than a well-tuned vehicle.
- When you fill up, stop after the first or second "click" of the nozzle's automatic shut-off. Letting the fuel overflow not only wastes money, but it's a fire hazard, can damage the car's paint and also pollutes the air as it evaporates.
- Keep your tires inflated at or near the manufacturer's maximum recommended level to achieve optimum fuel economy.
- Use tires designed to improve fuel economy. Check for reduced rolling resistance in the tire tread design.
- In summer, try using water with a bit of dish soap instead of windshield-washer antifreeze. This would help to reduce hydrocarbon evaporation which contributes to smog.
Vehicle Purchase
- Visit Natural Resource Canada's Fuel Consumption Ratings - [NEW WINDOW] web page to search for the most efficient passenger vehicles sold in Canada.
- Consider the purchase of a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle. The Ministry of Environment provides information on Provincial tax breaks for new alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids.
- Consider the purchase of a conventional vehicle with a manual transmission. A manual transmission with overdrive, combined with a tachometer or shift indicator, uses 5 to 10% less fuel compared to automatic transmission, especially in small cars having a four-cylinder engine.
You’ll save money – Idling a vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses up more than 100 litres of gas a year. If gas costs $1.10 a litre, you’ll save $110 per year (on your personal vehicle), just by turning your key.
You’ll breathe more easily – By turning your engine off when parked, you and others around you – such as children and people with respiratory problems – won’t have to breathe in unhealthy exhaust fumes from a vehicle that is going nowhere.
You’ll spare our climate and air – You will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to problems such as climate change and smog, and help achieve Canada’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels by the period between 2008 and 2012.
You’ll also reduce wear and tear on your engine. (Source: Natural Resources Canada)
Climate:
Climate Change (Metro Vancouver)
Website: http://www.metrovancouver.org/planning/ClimateChange/Pages/default.aspx - [NEW WINDOW]
Climate Change (BC Climate Exchange)
Website: http://www.bcclimateexchange.ca - [NEW WINDOW]
Climate Change in Canada (Natural Resources Canada)
Website: http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php - [NEW WINDOW]
Water, Air and Climate Change Branch (BC Ministry of Environment)
Website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/air- [NEW WINDOW]
Health:
About Outdoor Air (Canadian Lung Association)
Website: http://www.lung.ca/cando/outdoor.html - [NEW WINDOW]
Air Pollution Information (AirCare)
Website: http://www.aircare.ca/ap-impacts.php - [NEW WINDOW]
Environmental and Workplace Health (Health Canada)
Website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/out-ext/index_e.html - [NEW WINDOW]
Vehicle Use:
Fuel Saving Tips that Make Cents (British Columbia Automobile Association)
Website: http://www.bcaa.com - [NEW WINDOW]
What You Can Do (Environment Canada)
Website: http://www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=En&n=3109C24C-1 - [NEW WINDOW]
Other:
Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Alternative Motor Fuel Tax Concessions (BC Ministry of Small Business and Revenue)
Website: http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/documents_library/bulletins/sst_085.pdf - [NEW WINDOW]
Diesel versus Gasoline (Natural Resources Canada)
Website: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/english/faq/answer.cfm?id=750&score=4052&text=N - [NEW WINDOW]
Fuel Consumption Ratings (Natural Resources Canada)
Website: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/tools/fuel-consumption-guide/fuel-consumption-guide.cfm?attr=8 - [NEW WINDOW]
Greenhouse Gas Action Guide (Multi-agency)
Website: http://www.ghgactionguide.ca/ - [NEW WINDOW]
Learning to Live in a Low Energy World (Post Carbon Institute)
Website: http://www.postcarbon.org - [NEW WINDOW]
City of Burnaby, Engineering Department
Telephone: 604.294.7460
Fax: 604.294.7425
E-mail: engineering@city.burnaby.bc.ca
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