The habit has been ingrained in us for decades, and it can be hard to break the habit. But a lot of people don’t realize just how much gas idling burns it’s a lot.
The EPA recommends that you avoid idling for more than 30 seconds at a time, so if you’re waiting for someone or something, try to stay moving instead of sitting in your car with the engine running.
If you have to wait longer than 30 seconds, though, turn your engine off and use your parking brake to avoid rolling away when you start up again.
If you want some extra motivation to avoid idling as much as possible, consider this It costs $0.02 per minute to keep your car running while it is parked. That means that if you leave your car parked for 10 minutes with the engine running at high idle (approximately, that costs $0.20 that’s almost twice as much as a gallon of gas.
How to avoid idling your car for too long?
You might think you’re saving time by idling your car, but the truth is that you’re wasting gas. Idling your car for long periods of time can burn up to 2 gallons of fuel per hour, depending on the type and make of your vehicle. That’s not a small amount.
If you’re waiting in a parking lot or at a red light, turn off the engine and turn on your hazard lights instead. If you’re waiting at an intersection for a few minutes, turn off the engine and roll down the windows so that air can flow through more easily.
And if you need to park for longer than 10 minutes, consider taking public transportation or parking farther away from where you’re going next meaning it will take longer for you to get there and walk instead.
What are the alternatives to idling your car?
We’re sure you’ve heard it before: Idling your car is bad for the environment. The first step is to get comfortable with driving off when you’re not moving. You can do this by setting a goal.
If you’re going to sit in traffic for more than 3 minutes, turn off your engine and wait. It’s better for everyone if you don’t idle while waiting at a red light, too. Or maybe there will be times when you have to wait in line and are running late.
If that’s the case, keep in mind that turning off your engine will save gas as well as help reduce pollution. Another option is to use public transportation or carpool instead of driving alone. This will not only reduce pollution but also save money on gas.
How much money does idling burn?
If you’re driving a standard-sized minivan, idling for five seconds will burn about 1/4 of a gallon of gas. That’s about $1.36 at current prices. If you’re driving a Hummer H2, idling for five seconds will burn half a gallon worth of gas that’s about $3.60 at current prices.
If you’re idling for more than five seconds, it can get even pricier. if you idle for an hour, that’ll cost you about $50 in fuel costs alone!
What is the average cost of gas in the US?
The average cost of gas in the US is $2.52 per gallon, and it’s been that way for the past few months. It’s actually dropped a little bit since February when it was at $2.80 per gallon.
The US uses about 19 million barrels of oil per day, which works out to about 1 billion gallons per year. The EPA estimates that idling burns about .5% of that, which means that on average, Americans burn about 5 million gallons of fuel just by idling their cars every day. That adds up to about $12 million dollars worth of wasted fuel every year.
Is there a way to calculate how much you’re burning?
When you turn off your engine, the car’s computer stops sending fuel to the cylinders. This means that for a moment after turning off your car, no fuel is being burned. When you start up again, the computer has to send fuel back through the lines again and restart everything working properly.
That takes time and energy. So idling keeps things running smoothly while allowing the computer to do its thing without wasting gas by stopping and starting up again. Now let’s talk about how much gas idling burns.
The amount varies based on what kind of vehicle you have, but it’s generally between 1-5 miles per gallon. If you drive 10 miles down the road at 45 MGP and then turn around and come back at 55 MGP, then idling would have burned twice as much.
Conclusion
Idling is a waste of money and fuel. The best way to get the most out of your car is to drive it as much as possible, but if you’re going to be parked for a while, it’s best to turn off the engine and use your car’s power steering and air conditioning you’ll save fuel, money, and make fewer carbon emissions.
