In the Loop

2009-10-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Getting Started is as Easy as "1-2-3, M-P-G"

2009-09-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

To track your mileage at Moblu, you'll only need to enter 3 bits of information for each fill-up - your "M-P-G":

1 - the Miles (or kms) on your odometer when you filled up

2 - the Price you paid per gallon (or litre) when you filled up

3 - the Gallons (or litres) you put in the tank when you filled up

To get into the habit of capturing those 3 little bits of information:

1 - Scribble your odometer reading on your gas receipt (you'll need a pen in your car)

2 - Stuff receipt in wallet

3 - Record your fill-up at Moblu in one of 3 ways anytime and from anywhere.

Enter your fill-up information by:

1 - Visiting Moblu on any web-connected computer

2 - Visiting Moblu Mobile on your iPhone, Blackberry or other smartphone

3 - Using Twitter to tweet your fill-up to Moblu.

Give it a try. It's easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Creating a "Fuel Efficiency Challenge" at Moblu

2009-08-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Creating a "Fuel Efficiency Challenge" for any group - whether its your company, your school, your friends or some people who drive the same car as you do - is a simple and fun way to create a little energy awareness and help people make better, more sustainable energy choices.

It only takes a minute or two to get started. Here's how.

Step 1: Create a Moblu Group.

Once you login at Moblu, just click on Create a Group on your Moblu home page or click on the Create a Challenge link at the bottom of this page and follow the simple registration steps.

When you name your Group you may want to use the word Challenge in the name. Something like, Acme Co. Moblu Challenge.

Step 2: Invite your co-workers, classmates or friends to join the Challenge.

Email them a special invite link (which you can find on your Challenge Home page) that they can follow to join Moblu and they will automatically be added to your Challenge. There is a sample invitation email at the bottom of this post.

Note: You will need to send the invite email from your own email address in order to avoid the risk of the email getting caught up in spam filters.

Step 3: Sit back and enjoy the action

You can send out a reminder email to everyone about the Challenge after a week or two if people are not getting into the tracking habit.

You might also want to send out weekly Leaderboard updates.

Getting Started

You can Create a Challenge now. Why wait?

Here's a sample invite email

Hey fellow Acme-ites,

We're having a challenge to see who can improve their car's gas mileage the most in the next two months. Details are below. If you want to skip the details and get started right away you can click on this Join the Challenge link now [insert link to Challenge].

Challenge Details

The Challenge

See who can improve their gas mileage the most between now and [date].

The Prize

Winner gets bragging rights and [pick a prize]. Everyone who participates will be entered in a draw for [pick a prize].

Eligibility

· By invitation only

· No car? No problem. You can still join the Challenge and follow along. [You will be entered in the prize draw along with everyone else.]

· You’ll need to record your first fill-up by [date].

Getting Started

· Click on the link to the Challenge at the bottom of this email

· The link will take you to Moblu where you can login or join Moblu and create a profile for your car. It only takes a minute or two. When you join, you will automatically be asked to join the Challenge.

· Track your gas fill ups at Moblu. You can do it on the web, on your cell or using Twitter. It takes less than a minute to record a fill up. No really, less than a minute.

Tracking Tips

The easiest way to get started tracking your fill ups is to:

· scribble your odometer reading at the top of your gas receipt each time you fill up,

· put your receipt in your wallet, and

· record your fill up at Moblu next time you are on the web or twittering.

Driving Tips

You may be wondering how you can improve your gas mileage and reign supreme in the Challenge. Visit In the Loop for some useful tips and suggestions.

Leaderboard

You can see how you’re stacking up in the Challenge anytime by visiting the Challenge Home Page [you can insert a link]

Link to the Challenge

Here’s the Join the Challenge link [insert the invite link from your Challenge's Home page]. Just click on it to get started.

Happy Moblu-ing.

Top 5 Reasons to Track Your Gas Mileage with Moblu

2009-05-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions people typically ask about Moblu is "Why should I bother tracking my gas mileage?"

Great question.

Here are my Top 5 reasons. I hope you'll agree that one or more of them is reason enough to spend thirty seconds or so each time you fill-up. If you have any other reasons that you think should be added to the list, let us know.

#1 - The "Awareness" Effect

Did you know that numerous studies have shown that individuals will reduce their energy consumption by up to 10% when they are given more relevant and timely information about their energy use.

Taking thirty seconds or so to use Moblu to record each fill up is a great way to get the "Awareness Effect" working for you. You'll know if you're getting the most you can out of the gas you're using. If you're not, it may spur you to figure out why, and whether there is anything you can do differently to change it. Enter Reason #2.

#2 - The "Cause and Effect" Effect

There are lots of easy, low-cost changes you can make to improve your fuel efficiency if your car is underperforming. You can check out our list of Top 7 Fuel Efficient Driving Tips (or one of the many other lists out there - here's Chevron's and here's one from Ecodriving USA).

The problem, though, is that if you don't track your gas mileage before and after you make a change it's often difficult to figure out exactly how big an impact, if any, the changes are having. Tracking your mileage fills this gap. It's a simple and easy way to see which changes are saving you money and which ones aren't. Without this feedback loop, you won't know which changes you should turn into habits.

#3 - "Houston, we have a problem"

A sudden and significant drop in your gas mileage is often an early indicator of a more serious problem. Keeping track of your gas mileage can often help you identify these problems earlier and prevent them from becoming more serious (and costly).

# 4 - Get "Real"

There are the official, government sanctioned fuel efficiency ratings (EPA in the US and NRC in Canada) and then there is what people experience in real-world driving conditions. Numerous studies suggest that real-world fuel efficiency is 5 - 20% lower than the official estimates (I can vouch for that). By sharing your mileage at Moblu, you'll be contributing to a real-time study of real-world fuel efficiency. Who knows, this "study" might even have an impact on how government agencies think about fuel efficiency standards (eg. CAFE - Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) and ratings....

# 5 - Help Others Without Hardly Trying

Sharing your mileage experience (good or bad) with others at Moblu can help get the "Awareness Effect" working for them and may even encourage them to try out a new fuel-saving tip or two.

Top 7 Fuel Efficient Driving Tips

2009-04-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

There are a dozens of lists of Fuel Efficient Driving Tips out there. I’ve included links to a number of the better and/or more comprehensive ones at the end of this post.

Here's our list of favourite tips:

#1 - Keep Your Tires Inflated

Under-inflated tires can have a big negative impact on your fuel economy. According to the US EPA, fuel efficiency is reduced by approximately 1% for every 3 psi that tires are under-inflated. According to Natural Resources Canada, Canadian drivers could save a whopping 643 million litres of fuel this year if they just kept their tires properly inflated.

What’s the easiest way to make sure your tires are properly inflated?

Carry a tire gauge (there are digital gauges out there now) or use the gas station’s gauge, and check your tires once a month or so.

Try out some LED tire valve caps. They flash or light up when your tire pressure drops. Buyer beware though. As best I can tell consumer feedback on them has been mixed.

The correct tire pressure in PSI can be found on your car's "tire label" which is usually found on the edge of your door, the door frame or sill.

Check out this survey that Edmunds.com did last Earth Day of its own employees. It gave its employees digital tire gauges and asked them to report back. The results are pretty remarkable. If the pros at Edmunds are driving around on underinflated tires….

#2 - Empty Your Trunk

According to the folks at EcoDriving USA, an additional 100 pounds in the trunk typically translates into a 2% reduction in fuel economy. I gave this one a try (good-bye soccer balls, golf clubs) and I noticed a slight improvement in my mileage. You can check out my car's Moblu profile to see what happened.

#3 - Get Your Car Tuned-up Regularly

This can translate into a 4% or more improvement in gas mileage. And it's a good way to maintain the overall health of your car.

#4 - Tighten Your Gas Cap

No, really. Tighten your gas cap. As much as 30 gallons of gasoline can be lost annually to evaporation when your fuel cap is not fully tightened. According to the Car Care Council, loose, damaged or missing gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate in the US each year.

#5 - Take it Easy

Highway driving that exceeds 60 miles (100 km) per hour uses more fuel. Observing the speed limit and not exceeding 60 mph (where legally allowed) can improve mileage by 7-23%.

This one I can manage - most of the time. #6 on the other hand .....

#6 - Avoid "Jack Rabbit" Starts and Stops

"Jack rabbit" starts and stops use fuel and cost money at the gas pump.

According to the U.S. EPA, avoiding this sort of driving behaviour can improve fuel economy by up to 33%. A few seconds of high-powered driving can use as much gas as driving for several minutes at more measured speeds.

As any "hypermiler" (and/or my wife) will tell you, if you ease into accelerations and brake smoothly, especially around corners, you can improve your mileage significantly.

As my car's Moblu profile will attest, I still have work to do on this front. I drive almost entirely in the city and I have developed some bad habits. Feels like I might need a "12 step" program.

#7 - Drive Your Car to Warm It Up

Today's cars don't need to be warmed up before driving. According to J.D. Power, even on the coldest morning, running your engine for 30 seconds is all you need before your car should be ready to drive. Your car will reach its optimum operating temperature much faster when you are driving, rather than idling.

Give One of the Tips a Try and Track Its Impact at Moblu

Do these tips really work? Find out for yourself. Give one or more of them a try and track your mileage at Moblu to see what sort of difference they make.

Further Reading

Here are links to some other/more comprehensive lists.

EcoDriving Tips from EcoDriving USA

"Driving More Efficiently" - from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

"Driving Tips" from the Drive Smarter Challenge