PumpTalk - Petro-Canada

Global Demand and Diesel Prices

We have had many questions come in to the PumpTalk blog regarding diesel pricing and why they continue to be above gasoline prices. In this week’s post, we’ll help answer these questions.
First, I’d like to remind everyone that diesel has more than one use versus its sister, gasoline, whose primary use is transportation. This means that, unlike gasoline, demand for diesel is based on more than vehicle population. Diesel has many other uses in industries like in freight, construction, agriculture and ports.

Now let’s shed some light on pricing.

Ways to Save on Fuel: Infographic

We are excited about this week's post as we have compiled an infographic for you - and who doesn't love infographics?

We all want to save on fuel, and over the years PumpTalk has highlighted many fuel savings tips. So we decided to bring a few key ones together in this handy infographic, based on the informational sources cited at the bottom.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts.
 
NB: Sadly, doing everything on this handy list won't add up to $1.16 per litre savings on fuel - if only it did! But following these tips can help you reduce your gas costs (and that's always a win in my book).

- Julie S.

Buckle Up (Properly) and Stay Safe

Photo: iStockphoto

We've all done it - hopped in the car to drive to the corner store for a quick errand and not bothered with a seatbelt. It's such a hassle! It's just a few blocks away! What could happen?

While it's true that not putting on your seatbelt may save you valuable nanoseconds, it is also true that accidents can happen anywhere. And wearing your seatbelt is the single most effective way to increase your chance of surviving a collision. According to the US-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seatbelts reduce the risk of death to front seat occupants by 45% and the risk of serious or critical injury by 50%.

Seatbelts are a powerful safety system - but only when they're used correctly. When I began researching this subject, I thought -  are there any details we really need to know, how difficult is it to buckle up? After doing some digging, I realized that there are a few key things you need to make sure you are doing - some I wasn't even aware of!

Petro-Canada in Social Media

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2012!

We wanted to start the year off by letting you know about some of the other social media entities we have at Suncor. PumpTalk was our company’s first expedition into social media back in 2007. We have since expanded our roster!

Have a look below at some of our other social media properties:

 

If you are looking for some interesting videos on driving as well as the original PumpTalk Videos – have a look at our Petro-Canada YouTube channel.

 

Want to know more about Suncor’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, our employees and the communities in which we operate?

Check out the Suncor Energy YouTube page for some great videos, pictures on our Flickr page or become a fan of the Suncor Energy Facebook page to receive the latest updates.

Speaking of Facebook, we also have some other interesting pages:

Ultra 94 on Facebook: Dedicated to our Ontario driving enthusiasts using the highest octane of any gasoline in Ontario, Ultra 94, available at select Petro-Canada™ locations. The Ultra 94 Facebook fan page is used as a platform to connect, interact and share experiences with a community of performance drivers and enthusiasts across Ontario and includes a team of experts in performance driving sharing their experiences and answering questions on the page.

 

Dream Big Canadian Athletes Facebook Page: Petro-Canada has a proud 24-year history of supporting Canadian athletes and is a National Partner and the Official Oil and Gas Sponsor of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams. Become a fan and receive updates on athlete programs and other sport initiatives by Petro-Canada.

You can also check out some cool videos of athletes on the Petro-Canada Olympics YouTube Channel. And if it’s just pics you’re interested in, check out the Dream Big Flickr page. Go Canada Go!

 

OSQAR – Oil Sands Question and Response: This blog is dedicated to sharing information about the Canadian oil sands and industry performance. It includes topics like oil sands development and its environmental impacts and/or economic and social implications. You can join the conversation by visiting the blog here: osqar.suncor.com.

Finally, we have created Suncor Response, a blog that helps us convey information about relevant events we are responding to, including international updates.

We hope you have a chance to take a look at some of these sites and see what else we are doing in social media!  To review our social media policies and guidelines visit: www.petro-canada.ca/socialmedia

- Julie S.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Photo: iStockphoto

Well for some... but for others the thought of snow and shoveling is not a pretty picture. As 2011 comes to an end, we wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season. We hope you have found our posts interesting and that you will be back for more in 2012. We also want to thank those who participated in our poll, "We Want To Know What You Think" as it has given us great insight on topics for the New Year. Look for more posts on fuel efficiency, vehicle maintenance, fuel pricing and more in 2012. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog so you can get our weekly posts delivered right to your RSS reader or email. You can do this on the right hand side following the "Recent Posts" section.

Remember - this blog is meant for you, our PumpTalk readers, so please leave any suggestions, questions or comments you have in our comments section underneath each post.

And of course, as you're driving around doing your last minute shopping, visiting relatives and friends just keep in mind these Holiday safety tips:

• Don't drive in a hurry - better to be there a little late than to not be there at all.
• Have some patience for other drivers during the Holiday season - I'm sure they are running around trying to check their lists twice too!
• Top up that windshield washer fluid and clear away that snow (especially on the roof) before you get into your vehicle.
• Be aware that your stopping distance is reduced in winter weather.

There is a great chart on stopping distances for Winter Tires and All-Season Tires at the bottom of the page here. 

Health Canada also has some great Holiday Safety Tips as well.

And ofcourse, if you are looking for last minute gifts check out a previous PumpTalk post which has some great ideas!

Wishing all our PumpTalk readers a Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year,
- The PumpTalk team.

The Lost Art of Manual Transmission Driving

Photo: iStockphoto

Remember that first feeling of getting behind the wheel? That feeling of control and power, knowing that you could feel the vehicle respond at the slight touch of your foot on the accelerator. For me, that feeling is almost always present when I'm driving a manual transmission. I love being able to control the vehicle, knowing exactly when I want to shift for more power to the wheels, and commanding when to pull it back a notch. And of course, who can ignore that great feeling of a perfectly mastered rev-matched downshift. Nowadays, with more and more emphasis placed on multi-tasking, it may be tough to focus on shifting while you sip your coffee, talk on your Bluetooth and keep one eye on your three year old in the backseat who insists on opening that box of cookies! Understandably, most people I talk to have never driven a manual transmission - nor do they care to!

There are some actual economic benefits to driving a manual transmission which many people forget:

WinterGas™ - How Petro-Canada prepares for Winter

Over the years, we have posted many articles related to prepping your car for the winter season. Things like:

• The importance of winter tires
• Winter driving safety reminders
• And more recently, how to get yourself out of a ditch

You also may have your own regimen in preparing for the winter, like:

• Digging out your snow scraper, buried somewhere in your garage.
• Having some sand / cat litter around to put in your trunk for extra traction when the weather calls for it.
• Keeping a warm blanket and collapsible shovel in your car.

So this time, we wanted to talk about what we at Petro-Canada do to help you prepare for winter - switching to WinterGas™ at our retail sites.