Taking the ‘Reduced Idling’ Pledge

Yukon Energy is spending a lot of time and effort looking for new clean sources of power. At the same time, we're encouraging all Yukoners to conserve energy wherever possible. The less diesel we need to burn to meet the demand for electricity, the smaller the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

Of course here at Yukon Energy we must walk the walk. For instance we are looking at the efficiencies of all our assets. We are also asking staff to do little things like turning off office lights and computer screens when they are away from their desks. Another way we are trying to get our employees thinking about general energy conservation and improved air quality is to challenge them to keep company vehicle idling to a minimum.

It's good for us all to remember that:

• An idling vehicle produces nearly 20 times more air pollution than the same vehicle travelling 50km/hr.
   
• Excessive idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. In fact with today’s computer-controlled engines, usually no more than two to three minutes of idling is enough warm up time, even on cold days.
   
• Some motorists warm up the engine to the point where the car heater has warmed the interior of the vehicle. On cold days this could take upwards of 10 minutes and will have a significant impact on fuel consumption and emissions. Instead consider using a block heater with a timer to provide about two hours of block heating on cold days before starting your vehicle. This will make the vehicle easier to start and will warm it up faster.
   
• Idling warms only 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 that is to drive the vehicle. Until these parts begin to warm up it’s a good idea to avoid high speeds and rapid acceleration.
   
• At any time of year if you’re going to be stopped for more than 10 seconds, shutting off and restarting your vehicle will actually use less fuel and produce less carbon dioxide compared to leaving your engine running. Idling a vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses an average of 100 litres of gas a year! Every litre of fuel burned will emit at least 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide.
   
• Idling is hard on the vehicle’s engine. Because the vehicle is not working at peak operating temperature, residues and condensation can build up and actually damage the engine’s components, shortening the life of the vehicle and adding to your costs.
   
• There are times and places where some idling may be necessary, such as when you stop for a traffic light. But if we all work together, we can avoid a significant amount of unnecessary idling.