The true costs of engine idling for your business
Idling is the term used to refer to when a vehicle’s engine is running, but the actual vehicle itself isn’t moving. Sometimes it’s unavoidable (traffic jams for example), but a lot of it is not – and it can have serious repercussions, both for fleet operators, surrounding pedestrians, and even society as a whole.
It’s long been regarded as a major problem – you may have seen the Turn It Off anti-idling campaign in Fleet News a few years ago, for example.
Most of the time, idling happens in these sorts of situations:
Loading and unloading goods at a depot or delivery site. It can take roughly an hour to unload just a 10-foot Light Commercial Vehicle, for example.
Traffic jams. This is by far the biggest cause of idle times on delivery routes.
When the driver is engaged, but likely feels they’re about to imminently move off. For example, they might be doing paperwork, briefly on the phone, or waiting for someone.
Idling is most common in cities and other large urban areas – which is exactly why so many local authorities are now acting decisively to crack down on it, for the sake of every resident’s health and quality of life. Now, here at TankSafe, with products like TankSafe Optimum we know a thing or two about saving fuel, and protecting your company’s bottom line – so here’s what you need to know about the true costs of idling.
The fuel costs
This is the most obvious one. Fuel costs account for about 60% of the average fleet’s budget, so any wastage can have tangible repercussions. Lots of drivers underestimate exactly how much fuel is being consumed, even though the engine isn’t actually running. In fact, idling can use up to 2 litres of fuel per hour, which in turn emits over 5.2kg of CO2. That’s a lot of air pollution – and a lot of money down the drain.
By some estimates, eliminating idling from your company fleet can potentially help you to save up to £12,000 every year, both in terms of the fuel savings and maintenance costs.
Maintenance costs
Lots of people don’t think of idling as causing any kind of deterioration – but if the engine is running, then by definition it is incurring wear and tear. In fact, idling can actually cause twice as much wear and tear on internal components as driving at average speeds. It also causes more damage than stopping and starting an engine.
There are lots of complex technical reasons for this, but they can all be summarised by this key principle: basically, engines are not designed to be idling for long periods of time. Idling tends to leave harmful fuel resides that can cause engine damage, which ultimately results in higher maintenance costs over time.
One frequently-underestimated problem is that excessive idling can end up creating “ghost miles” – for every two minutes of idling, it can add an extra mile onto the total mileage. The higher the total mileage is on a vehicle, the more frequently it will be subject to routine maintenance inspections – each of which costs money. It’s just one more way that idling can add up to unnecessary extra costs on maintenance.
The risk of theft
This is one that can be particularly easy to underestimate – and unfortunately, on the rare occasions it happens, it’s often a lesson hard learned. If the vehicle is running with the keys in the ignition, and the driver is out of his seat for even a moment, that can make the vehicle incredibly vulnerable to any enterprising and unscrupulous passer-by.
And while targeted attacks on drivers are relatively rare, opportunists are sometimes depressingly common. And if one of your vehicles gets stolen, you’ll be out of pocket not jut for the cost of the vehicle itself, but also for the cost of all the cargo and fuel it was carrying. It can end up being a very, very expensive mistake.
Environmental and health costs
These can be slightly less direct in terms of their immediate impact on your business, but still just as tangible in the long run. The transport sector accounts for just over a third of the UK’s carbon emissions, which makes it one of the single most potent sectors driving climate change.
The exhaust from a running vehicle contains a toxic mix of contaminants, including nitrogen oxides, (NOx), particulate matter, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, amongst others. Not only does all that have a devastating effect on the environment, but also a major impact on air quality, and by extension, the health of anyone in the immediate area.
All that is a big part of the reason why in some cases, idling can even be considered illegal. Specifically, it can be an offence under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Similarly, the Highway Code equally says that if you have to stop at the roadside, then you’re obliged to turn off the engine, headlights and fog lights. Some local authorities will even charge drivers (or their employers) £80 for excessive idling – so that’s something worth making your drivers aware of!
Those are just some of the top reasons why it’s worth focusing on cutting down idling amongst your fleet. And if you’re looking at protecting the fuel you’ve managed to save, that’s exactly where we can help here at TankSafe. First and foremost amongst reliable range of fuel protection devices is TankSafe Optimum – an antisiphon device which we’ve specifically designed to provide 100% protection, so you can have peace of mind against fuel spills, overfilling, and skimming.
You can find out more on its dedicated page on our website, or find out answers to some of the most common questions over on our FAQs page. If you’ve still got queries, our experts will be happy to resolve them - fee free to give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we’ll be happy to help however we can!