Brown Calls for Cut in Petrol Prices

Gordon Brown today called on petrol retailers to cut fuel to under £1 a litre, stating that there is too much variation in fuel prices across the country. With prices as low as 99p and as high as £1.20 per litre, with Asda and Morrisons announcing they are dropping the price of unleaded petrol to 99.9p a litre.

Petrol prices have fallen to a twelve month low following sharp falls in the price of oil over the last few months.

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Petrol Consumption Reduction Tips
MPG Marathon 2008
Biking Hype & Car Fuel Reduction Ideas
Is The Government Right to Scrap the One-Off Winter Fuel Payment?
Talk About the Price of Oil

Petrol Consumption Reduction Tips

Changing your car to a new environmentally friendly model may not be easy for us all. But there are some ways you can reduce your fuel consumption, save money and help the environment too. The following simple tips could save the average driver £120 a year and reduce your CO2 emissions by 200kg per year. According to the organisers of the 2008 MPG Marathon, if we all were to implement these methods into our driving we could collectively save £8.2 billion per year in fuel costs, and significantly reduce the 91m tonnes of CO2 currently emitted in the UK annually .

• Gear Changes
  Change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
  
  
• Plan Ahead
  Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
  
  
• Air Con
  Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
  
  
• Kill Your Speed
  The most efficient speed depends upon the car in question but is typically around 55 - 65mph. Faster speed will greatly increase your fuel consumption.
  
  
• Don't Wait Around
  Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
  
  
• Aerodynamics
  Roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect your car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
  
  
• Avoid Short Distances
  A cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective. Walking or bikes can be a great alternative to short journeys.
  
  
• Plan Your Route
  Plan your journeys to avoid congestion, road works and getting lost. Sat Nav and online map services such as Google Maps can help you find the way.
  
  
• Tyre Pressure
  Under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
  
  
• Switch Off
  Stuck in a jam, switch the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two. Cutting the engine will save fuel and reduce emissions.
  

MPG Marathon 2008

The real benefits of ‘smarter’ motoring came into sharp focus this week when competitors in the 2008 MPG Marathon proved beyond doubt that skilful eco-driving can dramatically reduce the cost of motoring and cut the amount of CO2 emissions produced by Britain's 30 million motorists.

The 40 teams taking part achieved an average improvement of 23 per cent over the manufacturer’s official combined figures and, if replicated by all of Britain’s car and commercial vehicle drivers, would save a total of £8.2 billion per year in fuel costs.

Eighty drivers and navigators took part in this national initiative, a round trip between ALD Automotive’s headquarters in Fishponds, Bristol and Shrigley Hall, Macclesfield to establish whether eco-driving can squeeze more miles per gallon (mpg) out of their vehicles than conventional motoring. The objective was to ‘save pounds and the planet’ as the drivers put the manufacturer’s own estimates of fuel consumption to the test – and won.

The achievement was all the more impressive as the drivers had to deal with the glare of publicity and congested roads during the two-day endurance trial. Twenty two manufacturers agreed to publicly have a variety of their hatchbacks, saloons and commercial vehicles put through their paces by automotive journalists, 'green' organisations and motoring safety bodies, including the AA, over this gruelling 400-mile round trip.

While seven vehicles achieved more than 70 miles per gallon, eight amazingly secured more than 80 miles per gallon, a record for the event which is in its sixth year, but the overall winning position went to the Toyota Yaris driven by Andrew Andersz which achieved a staggering 84.66mpg.

Second place went to Sue and Joanne Cooke in the Mazda2 1.4 Diesel with 84.58mpg. James Sutherland and navigator Richard Hill, who have won the last two MPG Marathons, failed to achieve their ‘hat trick’ in the Toyota Aygo Blue although it came in fifth place with 82.39mpg, a 34.18 per cent improvement over the manufacturer’s combined cycle figures, and using just 22.71 litres of petrol. This was the best figure achieved by a petrol-engined car in the event.

The MPG Marathon also sought out the drivers most capable of improving on the fuel consumption figures claimed by the manufacturer.

A Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with a manufacturer’s combined mpg of 19.2, managed to achieve 30.96mpg, an improvement of 61.26 per cent, despite its massive seven-litre engine. Driver and navigator Richard Hammond and Carla McAlpine proved that even so-called ‘gas guzzler’ sports cars can be driven more economically.

Second place in the percentage improvement class went to Christophe Duprat from ALD Automotive International and French motoring journalist Emilie Eyzat in a Honda Accord, with an MPG of 73.98, an improvement of 49.16 per cent.

Another entry of note was the Ford Focus driven and navigated by Devon and Cornwall police officers Martin Davis and Malcolm Curnow who achieved a fuel consumption of 62.43mpg against the manufacturer’s figure of 54.2mpg, an improvement of 15.18 per cent on the standard Focus, although more significant because the vehicle would be heavier with additional equipment. The force is attempting to cut its £2.3 million annual fuel bill because, with a fleet of 1200 vehicles, officers drive an amazing 29 million miles per year as a result of there being more miles of roads in the two counties than in the whole of Belgium. AA president Edmund King, sharing the driving with BBC Transport correspondent Tom Symonds, achieved 73mpg in a new Fiat 500, an improvement of 9.01 per cent.

It’s not what you drive, but how you drive that makes the difference and once again the combined efforts of all the participants and sponsors delivered a first class, educational event which has proved, if proof was needed, that skilled driving techniques work and can make a dramatic impact upon miles per gallon.

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Chimney Balloon

I just had my head up my chimney today, and when I told people I was inflating a balloon up my chimney earlier, they thought it was some kind of euphemism. Usually not one to get my hands dirty, I was right in the action with soot everywhere. I had ordered a Chimney Balloon from Flusystems on Sunday and it arrived today. I had tried to order one last year just before Christmas when I wrote Winter Warmer Ideas, you have to practice what you preach, but the company was just featured in a national newspaper (the Guardian, I believe) and they were struggling to cope with the orders they were receiving.

The device was designed in 1990 to stop chimney draughts, and has some bold claims on their website, including;

"A room with a blocked chimney needs only about half the heat compared with rooms with open chimneys, so it makes sense to fit a chimney balloon in every chimney which is not in everyday use."

The chimney balloon is made in a special laminate of three plastics to make it airtight, tear-resistant and long-lasting. It also has a special shape that allows a little ventilation on two corners to keep your chimney dry. Using a chimney balloon is completely safe, if it is accidentally heated, it shrivels and deflates.

I was slightly skeptical about the claim that it requires only 50% the energy to heat a room with one installed, so I did the non-scientific hand infront of the flue, outside there was a small breeze, and this could be felt entering the room slowly and consistently.

I placed my chimney balloon into the flue and started blowing, gently making sure that it was postitioned well as it inflated, it took a few tries as I was dubious that my inflation, angle and postitioning was, well not good.

After completion I repeated the non-scientific hand infront of the flue, no breeze, good job. Just to make sure it is functioning properly you should check it after 24 hrs to make sure that it hasn't reduced in size due to cooling of the air in the balloon, and again every month or so.

The chimney balloon is effective mainly because of one single principle, warm air rises and cold air sinks. With the chimney balloon we can stop both at once, keeping cold air from entering the room, and warm air from escaping up the chimney. Chimneys act as a funnel and pump to take warm air away. This is a good thing when your fire is lit and the warm air is full of smoke.

It did make the room feel warmer, but then again I am a nieve person that when taking placebos thinks they are working. I believe it works, and works effectively, it's a small difference, that will save some energy without even having to try, and with global energy prices still high it could pay for itself in less than one winter.

As well as ordering a chimney balloon, I ordered radiator reflector panels, which hopefully will arrive soon (I'm going to try a more scientific test with them), and will be installing solar thermal water heating this October which we hope will reduce our energy consumption by providing the equivalent of 1500kWh of hot water heating a year, for an energy efficiency dork like me it's mighty exciting.

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Chatham House Predicts $200 a Barrel Oil

A report by leading think-tank, Chatham House predicts that oil prices will increase to in excess of $200 a barrel in the next five to ten years, fuelled (pardon the pun) by a "supply crisis" devrived from companies and governments were failing to invest enough to ensure production. The only way the looming crisis could be averted is if consumption falls.

"In reality, the only possibility of avoiding such a crunch appears to be if a major recession reduces demand - and even then such an outcome may only postpone the problem. While the forecast is controversial and extremely bullish, even allowing for some increase in capacity over the next few years, a supply crunch appears likely around 2013. The implication is that it will quickly translate into a price spike although there is a question over how strategic stocks might be used to alleviate this. Only extreme policy measures could achieve a speedy response in boosting supplies and lowering oil prices - a move that is likely to be politically unpopular"
Professor Paul Stevens, "The Coming Oil Supply Crunch", Chatham House

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Translink Fares to Rise by 5%

Translink are set to increase train and bus fares from Monday 25th August 2008. On average Metro will increase by 6.4%, Ulsterbus by 5% and N I Railways by 4.2%. This is the second rise to be announced this year, with rising global oil prices to blame. Translink will pay £9m more this year in fuel costs than in 2007, and the burden of this extra expense can not be asorbed by the company, as it is financially unviable to do so, and must be passed on to the passengers.

A full list of the price revisions can be found on the Translink website.

Whilst the news is unwelcome to those using public transport, it still offers the best value for money, and is one of the fastest ways to travel during peak hour commuting, not to mention an environmentally friendly choice too.

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Can You Afford to Fill Up? ... No, Try Our Petrol Saving Tips

BBC One's topical weekly investigative current affairs programme, Panorama, this week took a look at the price of petrol, how it is affecting the motorist and what can be done to encourage us to use less fuel and greener alternatives.

You can view the program on BBC iPlayer, until Monday 04th August (UK Only).

Changing your car to a new environmentally friendly model may not be easy for us all. But there are some ways you can reduce your fuel consumption, save money and help the environment too. The following simple tips could save the average driver £180 a year and reduce your CO2 emissions by 200kg per year.

• Do You Need to Drive?
  Short journeys that are generally less than two miles cause the most pollution and are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. A straining cold engine will produce 60% more pollution than a warm one. A cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective. Walk or cycle where possible instead.
  
  
• Gear Changes
  Change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
  
  
• Plan Ahead
  Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
  
  
• Air Con
  Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
  
  
• Kill Your Speed
  The most efficient speed depends upon the car in question but is typically around 55 - 65mph. Faster speed will greatly increase your fuel consumption.
  
  
• Don't Wait Around
  Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
  
  
• Aerodynamics
  Roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect your car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
  
  
• Plan Your Route
  Plan your journeys to avoid congestion, road works and getting lost. Sat Nav and online map services such as Google Maps can help you find the way.
  
  
• Tyre Pressure
  Under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
  
  
• Switch Off
  Stuck in a jam, switch the engine off if you expect to be there for more than a minute or two. Cutting the engine will save fuel and reduce emissions.
  

Picture: France Fuel Protests

A man pushes his scooter next to French truckers in Toulouse, southern France, as they block long-haul traffic in protest over soaring fuel prices.

Talk About the Price of Oil

Well you can catch up with Question Time on iPlayer, where the panel this week, including Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas, discuss the price of oil and what the future holds.

Biking Hype & Car Fuel Reduction Ideas

After the purchase of my bicycle a few months ago, with the weather picking up, and myself into a normal sleep routine, I now bike to work every morning, and home every afternoon. As yet I have not been arrested for furious cycling or blatant abuses of the highway code just yet, I try to remain as legal as possible.

The bike ride is one of the fun parts of my day, and now I am completing the task in less than five minutes in the morning, faster than driving and a third of the time taken to walk. Each day saving about 400g CO2 from the environment, (really I should have converted much sooner).

Other friends have also now bought bikes, and with the recent rise in oil prices to a record $135 a barrel, and analyst expectations that will continue to rise to $200 in the next 18 months, petrol prices are surely going to remain constant or rise considerably for the foreseeable future. This morning I had the pleasure to meet a manager at the local independent bike shop in work, and from his comments, bike sales are on the up, however based on seasonality and natural increases in prices across the board he is unable to give a detailed increase figure.

Now signals the time to either reduce your fuel consumption, through better driving technique, car sharing, park & ride schemes, public transport, alternative cars or converting to bike.

Here's a few ideas.

Better Driving Technique

Already on this blog we have published ten tips that could save you £120 (probably about £200 a year now, in our article, Drive Efficiency ... Drive Efficiently.

Car Sharing

If you drive to work from the same location as other from your work, or would like to start car sharing with randomers.

National Carsharing Network
Lift Share
Travel Wise Northern Ireland

These links can give you advice on car sharing.

Park & Ride Schemes

These are schemes where you drive to a point and make use of public transport for the remainder of the journey. These often operate from locations outside major cities. A flat rate fee offers a return bus / train service and parking, and could work out substantially cheaper than parking in the city centre. Often services offer bus / trains every ten minutes to ensure the service is easy, frequent and feasible for the majority. More info on specific schemes can be found at Park & Ride. However this is not a definitive guide.

Picture: Bush Biking

President Bush was given the gift of a bike this week on his visit to Isreal as part of their 60th Anniversary celebrations. Some could say this was almost a tongue in cheek present, considering the all time high of oil prices at $127 a barrel. His tour of the region has seen him ask for Saudi Arabia to increase oil production by 1m barrels a day, which has it appears been rebuffed (for the second time since January), due to their agreements with OPEC. A $1.4 billion arms deal with the country seems in jepordy as Democrats have revealed they will block, unless the 1m barrels a day increase is aherd to.

Bush is no stranger to two wheels, as he fell off his bike in May 2004, and collided with a British police officer a year later at Gleneagles. It's just a shame that the president sometimes has a four-wheeled SUV following him when he goes for a bike ride.

Oil at $127 a Barrel

Oil prices have risen by $3 to $127, fuelled by speculation of increased demand from China in the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake, and a revision of a previous forecast of $107 a barrel by Goldman Sach's to $141 a barrel for the second half of 2008.