Saving Petrol

[davyw1]

TAKE TIME TO READ THIS IT COULD SAVE YOU MONEY.   

TIPS ON FILLING YOUR CAR
 
I don't know what you guys are paying for petrol..... but here in Durban we are also paying high prices, up to
R 8.50 per litre.   My line of work is in petroleum and has been for about 31 years now.   So here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every litre.
 
Here at Marian Hill Pipeline where I work in Durban, we deliver about 4 million litres in a 24 hour period thru the pipeline.   One day is diesel, the next day is jet fuel, and petrol, LPR and Unleaded.   We have 34 storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 litres.
 
Only buy or fill up your car in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold..
 
Remember that all Service Stations have their storage tanks buried beneath the ground.   The colder the ground the more dense the fuel.   When it gets warmer petrol expands, so buying in the afternoon or evening .......... your litre is not exactly a litre.   In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the petrol, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products play an important role.   A one degree rise in temperature is a big deal in this business but the Service Stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
 
When you are filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode.
 
If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages; low, middle and high.   In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimising the vapours that are created while you are pumping.   All hoses at the pump have a vapour return.   If you you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes into your tank becomes vapour.   Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
 
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your tank is HALF FULL.
 
The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in you tank, the less air occupying its empty space.   Petrol evaporates faster than you can imagine.   Petroleum storage tanks have an internal floating roof.  This roof serves as zero clearance between petrol and the atmosphere, so it minimises the evaporation.   Unlike Service Stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every litre is actually the exact amount.
 
Another reminder.   If there is a fuel truck pumping into storage tanks when you stop to buy, DO NOT FILL UP.   Most likely the petrol/diesel is being stirred up as the fuel is being delivered and you might pick up some dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
 
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.   Remer to always fill your car when the tank shows "half'.   Always fill up in the early morning.   Always fill up in slow mode.

[davyw1]

[thifasmom]

thanks for that i have passed this on to my husband.

[Borlotti]

Better still, buy a bike and cycle if possible.

[ACE]

Better still, buy a bike and cycle if possible.

How did I know somebody was going to say that ::)

[Borlotti]

True, when I got to 60 and had no wage (retired) my poor car was not too well and I was not too keen on driving in London as (don't laugh men) had trouble parking and judging distances.  Had my eyes tested and they were OK.  But for my 60th birthday my children bought me a bicycle and I have used it ever since.  Bought two paniers for shopping and am off and away.  In five years have had 3 punctures, from the allotment from brambles, must have cost me at least £5.  Save on insurance, tax and petrol and with my free bus, train, tube pass have not missed my car.  In fact quite the opposite as it is a relief as I was never very mechanical.  Got a cheap train fare to Wales for a holiday, too far to cycle but just think of all the money I have saved.

[ACE]

Fair dos to you, but don't expect me to get on a tread iron.

Good sport though when I am in the truck.

[keef]

True, when I got to 60 and had no wage (retired) my poor car was not too well and I was not too keen on driving in London as (don't laugh men) had trouble parking and judging distances.  Had my eyes tested and they were OK.  But for my 60th birthday my children bought me a bicycle and I have used it ever since.  Bought two paniers for shopping and am off and away.  In five years have had 3 punctures, from the allotment from brambles, must have cost me at least £5.  Save on insurance, tax and petrol and with my free bus, train, tube pass have not missed my car.  In fact quite the opposite as it is a relief as I was never very mechanical.  Got a cheap train fare to Wales for a holiday, too far to cycle but just think of all the money I have saved.

How would you get three sacks of main crop spuds back home from the allotment on a push bike?  ;D ;)

[Borlotti]

You'd be surprised what I can get in my panniers, have to make two or three trips when I have loads of marrows, pots etc. and my partner drives a van if I have too much to carry.  Also have a lightweight wheelbarrow from Lidl which I push along.  Feel like a bag lady.  I suppose I could get a cab for £5, still cheaper than a car.  If you need one fair enough but I am happy without.  Used to feel sick in a car and still don't like the smell of petrol.

[keef]

You'd be surprised what I can get in my panniers

fnarr  :o

[Borlotti]

Don't know what that means.  Is it text language, or are you just fed up with me. Perhaps I should have said you would be surprised what I could get in my panties. (OK, not very funny rude joke).

[ACE]

or are you just fed up with me.

No never, we have a strange sort of banter on this site, sometimes taken out of context, but all in good fun.

Keep on posting and we will read your every word.  ;)

By the way I hope you have got a note from your mum to come on here.

[OllieC]

I'm afraid I've read this before. It's complete and utter, nice sounding nonsense!

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

check your tyre pressures and don't give lifts to fat people

[cambourne7]

Rhubarb i am stuffed then as i am a fat person :) but i always check my tyre pressure, make sure the car is regularly services (needed or not) and check the oil :)

I am switching to a newer car which has a diesel (common rail) engine and better MPG then my current car, its also going to cost me less insurance and less road tax !

Its all part my my mid life crisis :)

[keef]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finbarr_Saunders

[Andy H]

I have read about getting fuel in the morning but surely this afternoon fuel is against weights and measures acts which all forecourts have to be tested for???

As for the half tank thing then surely the vapour loss is FAR less than carrying thr extra weight of 70 kgs of fuel?

Best run nearly empty and put say 4 days worth in at a time.

I can`t as I have to leave car full every day at end of shift but thats my tough luck for using £30 a day

[penwortham115]

i bought an electric bike cost 15p to charge it up  and takes me 25miles

[ACE]

leccy bike. I have looked at this option, but it does not pan out right. Purchase bike £350, charging bike £1.00 a week,
new battery every 2 to 3 years £300 a time. That's a lot of beer tokens.

Can't compare my vehicle with a leccy tread iron. Mine earns its keep as I use it for work.

[penwortham115]

battery for my bike only lasts a year...£99 for new battery...had it 15 months and still running
done nearly 1800 miles.. not bad...no road tax ,,no insurance...no mot...free.parking
saves me a packet...gets me to the plot and shopping every day...the best thing i ever spent £349 on

[Si D]

True, when I got to 60 and had no wage (retired) my poor car was not too well and I was not too keen on driving in London as (don't laugh men) had trouble parking and judging distances.  Had my eyes tested and they were OK.  But for my 60th birthday my children bought me a bicycle and I have used it ever since.  Bought two paniers for shopping and am off and away.  In five years have had 3 punctures, from the allotment from brambles, must have cost me at least £5.  Save on insurance, tax and petrol and with my free bus, train, tube pass have not missed my car.  In fact quite the opposite as it is a relief as I was never very mechanical.  Got a cheap train fare to Wales for a holiday, too far to cycle but just think of all the money I have saved.

How would you get three sacks of main crop spuds back home from the allotment on a push bike?  ;D ;)

I'd just stick them in my trailer....have already brought home four or five sacks of spuds in it. It's equally good for shifting several bags of compost at a go, transfering trays of seedlings, moving tools (can get my wheel barrow on it), etc.

Trailer and bike cost substantially less than what it cost just to tax my car last year, so I'm on to a winner even before we've started to consider insurance (although I do have 3rd party insurance when on my bike), fuel, parking, servicing, depriciation, etc.   It's also nice that I can do the ten mile each way commute on the bike in about the same time it would take in a car across the city.

Not that I want to sound all yogurt-knitting, tree-hugging, hollier-than-though, but hey, I am ;D  No, seriously though, you'd be surprised at just how easy it is and how much money and hassle you save when you replace short trips in a car with a bike - just save the car for the longer trips where it comes into its own more.