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Major fuel savings for seniors

<p>Major fuel savings are now on offer for over 1.6 million seniors over the age of 60 across New South Wales, as the government adds fuel discounts to the list of benefits for NSW Seniors Card and Senior Savers Card holders. </p> <p>Senior card holders will be eligible for the new United Discount Fuel Card, which offers savings of 4c per litre at participating service stations, which can be used once daily for single transactions up to 150 litres. </p> <p>Anyone over 60 can become cardholders of the Seniors Card and Senior Savers Card, which allows them to save on fuel, energy, insurance, cybersecurity, pet adoption and vet services, and groceries.</p> <p>United Petrol head of loyalty Judith Russell said that after they've signed up for the card, “members then need to show and scan this United fuel discount card at the time of purchase at participating United service stations to save the four cents per litre.”</p> <p>The Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison shared their excitement to launch this discount. </p> <p>"We’re excited to launch the program’s first fuel discount with United Petroleum, an Australian-owned business offering discounts to members at the bowser.”</p> <p>“This brand-new discount has been added to the wealth of Seniors Card savings to help keep more money in seniors’ pockets and ease price pressure at the pump.”</p> <p>For those who want to apply for the fuel card, they can <a href="https://www.unitedpetroleum.com.au/fuel-discount-cards/our-partners/nsw-seniors-card/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sign up here </a>for a digital or plastic card, and find out the participating service stations here. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Sustainable aviation fuels – is Australia being left behind?

<p>Some solutions in renewable energy are relatively easy. Solar panels on roofs for example, or battery powered cars.</p> <p>But our obsession with air travel is significantly harder to decarbonise. Batteries are too heavy except on very short flights, and other zero carbon solutions in aviation are few and far between. Without removing air travel altogether, the next best thing is something called ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ or SAFs.</p> <p>While many other countries are ramping up their SAF production and already mixing it in with traditional fuels, Australia is being left behind.</p> <p>“It’s a shame if Qantas meets its 10 per cent sustainable aviation fuel target in 2030 by just buying it offshore,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce earlier this year.</p> <p>“That would be terrible outrage in my mind, and it’s a terrible dropping of the ball in Australia.”</p> <h2>What is sustainable aviation fuel?</h2> <p>SAFs are lower carbon fuels. They can be made of either biomass like waste oil or alcohol – called biofuels, or built chemically, brick-by-brick from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen – called e-fuels.</p> <p>Biofuels particularly are not a zero-carbon alternative, but they are markedly better than traditional fossil fuel-based jet fuel.</p> <p>These fuels can be used just by themselves – called 100% SAF-powered – and they have very similar chemistry to traditional fossil jet fuel so they’re just as effective.</p> <p>The problem though is the cost. They’re up to four times as expensive as traditional jet fuel, and around the world there’s just not that much of it on the market – less than 1% of jet fuel available.</p> <p>“Aviation fuels represent about 7-8% of all fuel consumption I believe, and of course in a country like Australia it’s an even bigger part of our liquid fuel consumption,” Lars Nielsen, a professor at the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, told Cosmos.</p> <p>“A very large part of the cost of flying is the aviation fuel. Nobody’s jumping to pay more for flying to Europe, therefore, it’s market demand. Are the customers willing to pay the extra price that would be involved with it?”</p> <p>As we decarbonise other areas of emissions – like electricity, transport and agriculture – aviation emissions as a percentage of total emissions are likely to skyrocket. While we could lower our reliance on flying (a small but growing habit), or discover completely zero carbon solutions for aviation, working out how to make SAFs sustainable and cost effective is important.</p> <p>Nielsen has worked with SAF in the past, as part of a project called the Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative.</p> <p>The group was trying to work out if three different sources of biofuels – sugar cane crop, algae, and a drought resistant tree called pongamia – could be made cost efficient compared to traditional fossil based jet fuels.</p> <p>“Whenever the prices of jet fuel go high, people start getting interested,” he says.</p> <p>“The only thing that could happen at a reasonable speed was sugar to fuel. But even then, we could see the prices were not competitive [even though] it’s technically very feasible.”</p> <h2>International Jet Fuel</h2> <p>Despite these problems, companies have started creating SAFs and selling them to aviation companies around the world.</p> <p>Heathrow for example is the largest major airport user of SAFs. This is partially due to a government mandate requiring 10% of jet fuel be SAF by 2030, and a priority to have at least 5 commercial-scale SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025.</p> <p>This is on top of Heathrow airport putting in place SAF incentives earlier this year.</p> <p>In the US, the government has launched the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge to reduce the cost, enhance the sustainability, and expand the production and use of SAF.</p> <p>United Airlines has used over five million gallons at Los Angeles International Airport, while JetBlue has signed a ten-year uptake agreement to receive at least 670 million gallons of blended SAF to its three New York area airports – JFK, La Guardia, and Newark.</p> <p>But there have already been some kinks in the system, particularly with first generation biofuels.</p> <p>“What was really quite disastrous is that in 2005 Europe committed to using biodiesel. Of course, biodiesel manufacturers in Europe found out the cheapest oil source we have is palm oil,” Nielson said.  </p> <p>“It expanded quite significantly the amount of biodiesel incorporated.”</p> <p>Unfortunately, a report in 2016 found that Europe’s switch might have increased greenhouse gas emissions. They reported that emissions from biodiesel are more than three times higher than those from conventional diesel engines when indirect effects are considered.</p> <p>The EU has now committed to phasing out these ‘first generation biofuels’ by 2030, but it highlights that not all sustainable fuels are equal.</p> <h2>Australia is being left behind</h2> <p>Meanwhile, in Australia we have barely made it into first-generation biofuels. The Queensland Sustainable Fuel Initiative shut down in the early 2010s, and there hasn’t been much traction since.</p> <p>This is both in getting the SAF into planes, as well as creating the fuel in Australia. Having a SAF industry in Australia would create jobs, potentially use waste products like used fry oil, as well as lower the emissions getting the fuel shipped halfway across the world.</p> <p>There have been a few toes dipped into the water in the past few years.</p> <p>In 2017 Virgin Australia announced a trial to add SAF through Brisbane Airport’s fuel supply system. It finished up in 2018, after being used in 195 flights from Brisbane. However, since the completion of the trial, there has been no other SAF incorporated into Australia’s jet fuel supply.</p> <p>Despite Virgin committing to net zero emissions by 2050, there’s currently no concrete plans for SAF to be used in their planes. Instead, they are prioritising modernising planes, lowering operational efficiencies, ground emissions, waste management and expanding the carbon offsetting programs.</p> <p>“Virgin Australia continues to work proactively with government and industry to establish a program for the viable commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel here in Australia,” a Virgin Australia Spokesperson told Cosmos in a statement.</p> <p>In March this year Qantas announced a Climate Action Plan where they pledged 10% SAF by 2030, and 60% by 2050. They also invested $50 million dollars in domestic production of SAF.</p> <p>Currently, the only SAF being used in the Qantas fleet is from the Heathrow Airport, but they’ve agreed to purchase SAF for its operations from California from 2025.</p> <p>In April, the Queensland government announced the first commercial sustainable aviation fuel biorefinery in Australia, which is hoping to provide 350 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel once it’s up and running.</p> <p>We might be waiting a while though – construction isn’t set to start until 2023, and the company behind the facility – Oceania Biofuels – has suggested that operations won’t begin until at least 2025.</p> <p>With the government’s 35% reduction in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050, working out how to create and incorporate SAFs to meet demand needs to be a priority.</p> <p>The previous government released a ‘bioenergy roadmap’ back in November last year, however the report has almost no commitments and limited funding for SAFs.</p> <p>Currently the Albanese government is still in the planning stages of creating any SAF initiatives.</p> <p>“The Minister for Transport has already outlined her intention to form a Jet Zero-style council to work across the aviation sector to help co-ordinate ongoing work to drive down aviation emissions,” a spokesperson for the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, told Cosmos.</p> <p>“In addition, our upcoming Aviation White Paper will consider as a priority how to maximise the aviation sector’s contribution to achieving net zero carbon emissions, including through sustainable aviation fuel and emerging technologies.</p> <p>“The Minister is also establishing a unit in the department to work across government and with industry to drive down domestic transport sector emissions.”</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainable-aviation-fuels-is-australia-being-left-behind/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jacinta Bowler.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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How to get out of the energy crisis, according to top technology experts

<p>Low-emissions technology and renewable energy are the way out of the current energy crisis, according to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.</p> <p>In its <a href="https://www.atse.org.au/news-and-events/article/here-and-now-the-state-of-low-emissions-technology-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new report</a> on the state of low-emissions technology, the academy emphasises that existing renewable energy sources – like solar, wind, batteries and pumped hydro – are mature technologies which will provide cheaper and more reliable energy in the long term.</p> <p>While they’re already a big part of our energy mix, it’s going to take more work before they’re dominant. According to the academy, Australia needs more policy, big infrastructure investments, and broad social support to transition completely to these technologies.</p> <p>“By deploying clean energy on the huge scale required to replace fossil fuels, we can eliminate nearly three quarters of global emissions and enhance global energy security,” says academy fellow Katherine Woodthorpe, former director of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Vast Solar.</p> <p>“In Australia, it will also lead to cheaper and more reliable supplier pricing for onshore manufacturers as well as a potentially exportable resource.”</p> <p>Professor Renate Egan, research leader for the University of New South Wales at the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics says: “Australia-wide, we already get 32% of our electricity from renewables. And that’s actually doubled in five years.</p> <p>“We need that to double again. We can do it possibly in five years, but at least in 10 years.”</p> <p>At the centre of the transition lies our <a href="https://www.atse.org.au/news-and-events/article/here-and-now-the-state-of-low-emissions-technology-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy grid</a>. Formerly something that ran off a handful of big energy producers, the grid is becoming more and more complicated with the addition of smaller and more diverse energy sources – from rooftop solar, to large batteries and offshore wind farms.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Cosmos Shorts: What is the grid?" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KmCXCXa5loA?feature=oembed" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <p>Egan refers to the modernising grid as an “internet of energy”.</p> <p>“With [energy] being generated in all different places and flowing in all different directions, we really need better monitoring, measuring and analysis of what’s going on, to allow us to make smart decisions,” says Egan.</p> <p>Fortunately, the technology now exists to manage this change too.</p> <p>“You’ll need smart sensors deployed pretty much everywhere producing a huge volume of data, with smart software to analyse and make use of that data,” says academy fellow George Maltabarow, the former managing director of Ausgrid.</p> <p>Academy fellow Professor Lachlan Blackhall, head of the battery storage and grid integration program at the Australian National University says: “This trend of distributed energy resources is actually happening globally.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p197575-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/technology/energy-crisis-escape-transition/#wpcf7-f6-p197575-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p><!-- Chimpmail extension by Renzo Johnson --></form> </div> </div> <p>“We’re seeing a really significant increase in the decentralisation of all energy systems. But Australia is actually on track to have the most decentralised energy system of anywhere in the world.”</p> <p>Strengthening and diversifying the grid is particularly important, because electricity will be providing more of our energy in general.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"><iframe title="Cosmos Shorts: What could our future electricity grid look like?" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hGWw3gF7Z9k?feature=oembed" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <p>Maltabarow says the transition away from fossil fuels “is going to require electrifying just about everything”.</p> <p>This transition includes household gas supplies – although gas power stations will <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/gas-price-energy-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">likely still have a small role to play</a> as a peak transition fuel for the next few decades. <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/cosmos-briefing-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Electric vehicle</a> batteries could also provide some additional storage space for the grid to use.</p> <p>“We really do have all of the technology that we’re going to need, so it’s really important that we also focus on the social and the economic,” says Blackhall.</p> <p>“One of the key things that we do advocate for is actually an increase in the amount of social science research, in particular, that’s being done to actually go out and understand householder and community expectations and ensure that we have social licence for this very significant energy transition.”</p> <p>Social support is particularly important in the context of the current crisis, where energy prices are 115% higher than previous records, and <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/aemo-energy-market-gas-crisi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trading was temporarily suspended</a> by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).</p> <p>“The current crisis has been a decade in the making,” says Maltabarow.</p> <p>“In the short to medium term, prices are going to increase. The challenge is to make sure that increase is minimised to the extent that we can.”</p> <p>Academy fellow Alex Wonhas, a member of the NSW Energy Corporation’s advisory board and former head of engineering and system design at AEMO says Australia “has the technologies to avoid a future crisis”.</p> <p>“However, we must act now to lay the foundation of a truly modern energy system,” Wonhas says.</p> <p>“That requires investment in a whole mix of different technologies.”</p> <p><!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=197575&amp;title=How+to+get+out+of+the+energy+crisis%2C+according+to+top+technology+experts" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><!-- End of tracking content syndication --></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/energy-crisis-escape-transition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/ellen-phiddian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellen Phiddian</a>. Ellen Phiddian is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a BSc (Honours) in chemistry and science communication, and an MSc in science communication, both from the Australian National University.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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5 tips to make your fuel tank last longer while prices are high

<p>The federal government’s announcement of a halved fuel excise is no doubt music to many people’s ears. Following Tuesday night’s budget release, the excise (a government tax included in the purchase price of fuel) was <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fuel-excise-slashed-to-ease-petrol-prices-for-six-months-20220324-p5a7mp.html">halved</a> from 44.2 cents per litre to 22.1 cents.</p> <p>It should provide some respite from high petrol and diesel prices <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-disrupted-russian-gas-supplies-will-hit-global-and-australian-prices-178023">driven by</a>Russia’s war on Ukraine.</p> <p>However, the cut is only expected to last six months. And Treasurer Josh Frydenberg <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-29/lowdown-on-when-fuel-excise-cut-will-be-seen-at-bowsers/100949562">has said</a> it will take up to two weeks before fuel prices get cheaper (and potentially longer in regional areas). </p> <h2>The costs</h2> <p>Assuming it costs A$2 per litre for petrol and diesel fuel, and an average fuel consumption of about <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/survey-motor-vehicle-use-australia/latest-release">11 litres per 100 kilometres</a> driven – driving a typical fossil-fueled passenger vehicle right now would cost about 20 to 25 cents per kilometre.</p> <p>You’re probably quite happy if you own an electric vehicle. With a <a href="https://mdpi-res.com/d_attachment/sustainability/sustainability-14-03444/article_deploy/sustainability-14-03444-v2.pdf">real-world electricity consumption</a> of 0.15 to 0.21 kWh per kilometre and <a href="https://www.canstarblue.com.au/electricity/electricity-costs-kwh/">electricity costs</a> of about 20 to 30 cents per kWh, your cost of driving per kilometre is about 3 to 6 cents. And if you can charge your vehicle’s battery for free with home solar panels, your cost per kilometre is $0.</p> <p>But for those of us who don’t own an electric vehicle, making the best use of our fuel tanks will be a priority. Here are some ways you can make your vehicle go the extra mile.</p> <h2>1. Use a smaller, lighter car</h2> <p>There are a number of things you can do to reduce your fuel use. The obvious one is to not use your car, but walk or grab your bicycle, if possible.</p> <p>If you do have to drive, try to minimise your total travel distance. One way would be to combine a number of errands into your journey and optimise your route.</p> <p>The specific vehicle you use also matters. As a general rule of thumb, <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_9527cdcb01a84440a53308b3b5624320.pdf?index=true">the larger and heavier your car</a>, the more energy and fuel it will require per kilometre. Choosing a smaller car, rather than a large SUV, will definitely reduce your fuel bill. A large SUV will use almost twice as much fuel per kilometre as a small car.</p> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360128516300442">Research</a> also suggests that for every 100kg increase in vehicle weight, fuel consumption increases by about 5% to 7% for a medium-sized car. So in addition to driving a smaller car, it’s best to reduce your load and avoid driving around with extra weight. </p> <h2>2. Use eco-driving techniques</h2> <p>The way you drive is important too. Eco-driving involves being conscious of your fuel consumption and taking actions to reduce it. There are various ways to do this.</p> <p>Every time you brake and stop, you have to accelerate again to reach your desired speed. Acceleration uses a lot of energy and fuel, so driving smoothly, anticipating traffic and preventing stops will lead to savings on your fuel bill. </p> <p>What you want to do is flow with the traffic and keep your distance from other vehicles. It also helps to keep an eye further up the road, so you can avoid obstacles and therefore unnecessary braking and acceleration. </p> <p>If you’re in the minority of people who own a manual vehicle, drive in the highest gear possible to reduce engine load and fuel use. And if you’re in an automatic vehicle, use the “eco” setting if you have one.</p> <h2>3. Give your engine and climate a break</h2> <p>Another simple tip is stop unnecessary idling with the engine still engaged. A small car typically uses one litre of fuel per hour while idling, whereas this is close to <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_2485b61095ed48f29bea980a73e74240.pdf?index=true">two litres per hour</a> for a large SUV. </p> <p>Of course, we idle regularly while waiting in traffic and generally can’t do much about that, other than trying to drive outside peak hours when roads are less congested. In other cases, we can change things. For instance, idling when a vehicle is parked will use up fuel unnecessarily.</p> <h2>4. Turn off the AC</h2> <p>Most people may not realise this, but using your air conditioner can use up quite a bit of extra fuel: somewhere between 4% and 8% of total fuel use. Using the fan instead will require less energy than air conditioning. Or even better, wind down the windows for a bit for fresh air when you are driving in the city. </p> <h2>5. Tend to your tires and consider aerodynamics</h2> <p>It also pays to keep your <a href="https://www.racq.com.au/car/greener-motoring/racq-ecodrive-research-study">tires inflated</a>, which can save you between 2% and 4% in fuel use. </p> <p>Also, your car is designed to be aerodynamically efficient. Anything that changes that, including roof racks, bull bars and bike racks, will come with an additional fuel penalty – particularly at higher speeds, such as on the freeway.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-tips-to-make-your-fuel-tank-last-longer-while-prices-are-high-180134" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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10 ways to get better fuel mileage – and pay less at the pumps

<p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by driving slower</strong></p> <p><span>Hard acceleration in stop-and-go driving costs you 20 per cent in fuel mileage. If you live your life in rush hour traffic and like to put the pedal to the metal, spend all your extra time at the next traffic light figuring out how you could have spent the money you’re wasting.</span></p> <p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by keeping your tyres at the right pressure</strong></p> <p><span>Surveys show that 60 per cent of the vehicles on the road have tyres that are under-inflated by at least 30 per cent. That’s at least 9 psi below the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. That can cost you almost 7 per cent in wasted petrol. Plus, low air pressure causes premature tyre wear, and that can cost almost $300 over the life of the tyres. For best results, check your tyre’s air pressure with a digital pressure gauge (from any auto parts store) and fill to the recommended pressure shown on the decal inside the driver’s door or on the driver’s door pillar.</span></p> <p><strong>Save on fuel by changing spark plugs</strong></p> <p>If your 160,000-km spark plugs have 130,000 km on them, they’re 80 per cent worn. Misfires and incomplete combustion occur more frequently during that last 32,000km, costing you hundreds of dollars in wasted fuel. You have to replace your spark plugs anyway, so do it early and pocket the savings. Even if you have to replace the plugs one extra time over the life of your car, you’ll still come out way ahead. And don’t automatically assume your plugs are good for 160,000km. Many four-cylinder engines require new spark plugs at either 50,000- or 100,000-km intervals.</p> <p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by changing your air filter</strong></p> <p><span>Your engine sucks in 53-million litres of air through the filter every year. On older vehicles (pre-1999), a dirty air filter increases fuel usage by almost 10 per cent. On newer vehicles, the computer is smart enough to detect the lower airflow, and it cuts back on fuel. So your engine will lack power and pick-up. Check the filter when you change your oil and replace it at least once a year, or more if you drive in dirty, dusty conditions.</span></p> <p><strong>Save on fuel by keeping your car aligned</strong></p> <p><span>If your tyres are bowed out of alignment by just 4.2cm, it’s the equivalent of dragging your tyre sideways for 164km for every 32,000 you drive. That’ll cost you hundreds a year in wasted fuel. It will also wear your tyres faster, costing you hundreds more. Here’s an easy way to check your alignment without taking your car in to the shop: Buy a tread depth gauge and measure the tread depth on both edges of each tyre (rear tyres too). If one side of the tyre is worn more than the other, your car needs to be aligned.</span></p> <p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by replacing a broken or missing spoiler</strong></p> <p><span>The plastic air dam (aka “spoiler”) that’s broken or missing wasn’t installed just for a sporty look. If your car had an air dam, driving without it or with a damaged one can reduce your fuel mileage. The air dam literally “dams off” airflow to the undercarriage of your car, forcing the air up and over the hood. That helps your car cut through the air with less drag. It also increases airflow to the A/C condenser and radiator, reducing the load on your car’s electrical system.</span></p> <p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by reducing drag</strong></p> <p><span>Yes, you’ve heard it before, but how about some real world numbers to drive the point home? Aerodynamic drag is a minor concern in city driving, but it really kills your petrol mileage at speeds over 90km/h. In fact, increasing your speed to 105km/h increases drag by 36 per cent! If you do a lot of highway driving, getting to your destination a few minutes early could cost you hundreds of dollars extra a year. Keep it closer to 90km/h and use your cruise control. It will pay off.</span></p> <p><strong>Get better fuel mileage by replacing oxygen sensors before the dashboard warning light goes on</strong></p> <p><span>Oxygen sensors monitor the efficiency of combustion by tracking the amount of oxygen remaining in the exhaust. But they degrade over time and that can cost you up to 15 per cent in fuel mileage. When they fail, the computer lights up your “service engine soon” light, forcing you to incur a diagnostic fee. (Here’s why you should never ignore your car’s check engine light.) On pre-1996 vehicles, replace your oxygen sensor every 96,000km to keep your mileage at its peak. On 1996 and newer vehicles, replace the sensors every 160,000km. Oxygen sensors vary in cost, from around $65 to over $300. Some vehicles have as many as four, but the sensors installed behind the catalytic converter rarely fail.</span></p> <p><strong>Replace your cabin air filter</strong></p> <p>A clogged cabin air filter can damage your car’s blower motor and cause your AC to run longer and harder in the summer. Cabin air filters are easy to access and replace and you’ll save money by doing it yourself. Buy a replacement cabin air filter at any auto parts store and ask the retailer to print out the installation instructions. Cabin air filters are usually located in the air ducts behind the glove box in late model vehicles. However, some car makers locate them in the cowling or console area. Just remove the access covers and slide out the old filter. Note the direction of the airflow arrows so you can install the new filter in the proper orientation. Then reinstall the covers and you’re done.</p> <p><strong>Keep an eye on warning lights</strong></p> <p><span>Pay attention to your dashboard warning lights. Car owners think a glowing check engine light isn’t important because it just means you’ve got an “emissions problem.” Guess what? Emissions problems are almost always caused by an incomplete burn and that means you’re not getting the most bang for your buck. In other words, a check light means you’re wasting fuel. Worse yet, all that extra fuel goes right into your expensive catalytic converter, causing it to fail early. A new catalytic converter can be expensive to replace and then you STILL have to fix the underlying problem that turned on the check engine light in the first place. Many times the check engine light comes on due to a bum sensor or vacuum leak. Replacing a sensor or fixing a vacuum leak can save far more than what you’ll waste in reduced fuel economy.</span></p> <p><em><span>This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/money/12-ways-to-get-better-fuel-mileage-and-pay-less-at-the-pumps" target="_blank"><span>Reader’s Digest</span></a><span>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank"><span>here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Money & Banking

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False fossils could hamper search for life on Mars

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>If you’re an interplanetary alien hunter scouring the red expanses of Mars for signs of life, you’re more likely to come across <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/looking-for-microbes-on-mars/" target="_blank">microbes</a> than little green men. You’re even more likely to come across fossils of ancient critters that lived billions of years ago.</p> <p>But new research warns that chemical processes can create “pseudofossils”, potentially fooling future exo-palaeontologists.</p> <p>“At some stage a Mars rover will almost certainly find something that looks a lot like a fossil, so being able to confidently distinguish these from structures and substances made by chemical reactions is vital,” says astrobiologist Sean McMahon from the University of Edinburgh, UK.</p> <p>“For every type of fossil out there, there is at least one non-biological process that creates very similar things, so there is a real need to improve our understanding of how these form.”</p> <p>In a study published in the <em>Journal of the Geological Society</em>, McMahon and colleagues from the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford assessed dozens of known processes that could have created life-like traces in Martian rocks.</p> <p>Many chemical processes can mimic the structures created by microscopic lifeforms, like bacterial cells or carbon-based molecules that make up the building blocks of life as we know it.</p> <p>Stromatolites are one example of fossils that could be impersonated. These rock-like structures formed from layers deposited by communities of blue-green algae. Called “living fossils”, they are still <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/palaeontology/extremely-ancient-lifeform-discovered-in-tasmania/" target="_blank">found</a> in shallow aquatic environments today, and at more than 3.5 billion years old they’re among the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/earliest-life-found-in-ancient-aussie-rocks/" target="_blank">oldest evidence</a> for life on Earth.</p> <p>But non-biological processes can produce pseudofossils that mimic the domes and columns of stromatolites. Surprisingly, similar deposits can build up in places like factory floors, where cars are spray-painted, as well as more natural processes like the deposition of silica around hot springs, some of which <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13554" target="_blank">have recently been found</a> on Mars.</p> <p>Another example of ambiguous fossils can be found in sandstone beds from the Ediacaran period, 550 million years ago. Animal and plant-like imprints are embedded in “textured” rocks, where the texture actually represents fossilised microbial mats that once covered the ancient sea floor.</p> <p>A joint Australian-US team has <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/studying-fossils-with-ai-tech/" target="_blank">recently been awarded</a> NASA funding to see if AI can distinguish between rocks that are formed from biological signatures (like these microbial mats) or from purely abiotic chemical processes.</p> <p>The team’s ultimate goal is to apply similar machine learning techniques to geological images taken by Mars rovers.</p> <p>This new paper by UK astrobiologists says that research like this may be key to the success of current and future exobiology missions.</p> <p>“We have been fooled by life-mimicking processes in the past,” says co-author Julie Cosmidis, a geobiologist from the University of Oxford. “On many occasions, objects that looked like fossil microbes were described in ancient rocks on Earth and even in meteorites from Mars, but after deeper examination they turned out to have non-biological origins.</p> <p>“This article is a cautionary tale in which we call for further research on life-mimicking processes in the context of Mars, so that we avoid falling into the same traps over and over again.”</p> <!-- Start of tracking content syndication. Please do not remove this section as it allows us to keep track of republished articles --> <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=172969&amp;title=False+fossils+could+hamper+search+for+life+on+Mars" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> <!-- End of tracking content syndication --></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/astrobiology/false-fossils-on-mars-could-hamper-search-for-life/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/lauren-fuge">Lauren Fuge</a>. Lauren Fuge is a science journalist at Cosmos. She holds a BSc in physics from the University of Adelaide and a BA in English and creative writing from Flinders University.</p> <p><em>Image: gremlin/Getty Images</em></p> </div> </div>

International Travel

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Tom Gleeson pours fuel on feud with Kerri-Anne Kennerley

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p><em>ABC</em> comedian Tom Gleeson has reignited his feud with <em>Studio 10</em>’s Kerri-Anne Kennerley a year after she called him a “wimp” for not showing up to his scheduled Studio 10 interview after his Gold Logie win.</p> <p>Gleeson, 45, jokingly compared the 66-year-old to a “hungry python” while hosting his game show<span> </span><em>The Hard Quiz</em><span> </span>on Wednesday night.</p> <p>He fired questions at contestant Darren and footage of a snake flashed up on the screen as Gleeson asked Darren as to how snakes digest food.</p> <p>“The left and right side of a python's lower jaw can move independently, allowing them to drag food down their throats through a process known as the what walk?” Tom asked.</p> <p>Darren struggled to answer, and Gleeson took advantage of the awkward silence.</p> <p>“It's like watching Kerri-Anne eat dinner!” he exclaimed, much to the delight of his fans.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"Its like watching Kerrie-Anne eat dinner." - <a href="https://twitter.com/nonstoptom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nonstoptom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/screaming?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#screaming</a> !!!😂😂😂!!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/genius?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#genius</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bestlineofseason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bestlineofseason</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hardquiz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hardquiz</a> <a href="https://t.co/ePAi9PslYx">pic.twitter.com/ePAi9PslYx</a></p> — radioShirley &amp; mr.K (@radioShirley) <a href="https://twitter.com/radioShirley/status/1260566207125733377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Kerri-Anne has been vocal about her disapproval of Gleeson’s joke campaign, after he joked it was a “victory for quiet Australians”.</p> <p>She was putting mock quotations marks around words as she blasted Gleeson for not showing up to the interview.</p> <p>“He has turned into 'Gold Logie winner Tom'. 'Wimp Tom'. You're supposed to be here!” Kerri-Anne exclaimed during the <em>Studio 10</em> broadcast</p> <p>“You’ve turned into a winner now. And now you're a wimp, you're far too good for us little people, Tom,” she added.</p> <p>“I'm so disappointed. You wanted a hard chat? I could give you a hard chat,” she joked, making a reference to the popular<span> </span><em>ABC</em><span> </span>quiz show.</p> <p>Despite co-hosts Sarah Harris and Joe Hildebrand saying he could still show up, Kerri-Anne started back up again.</p> <p>“No, he's too good for us. I know the <em>ABC</em> type. He's now so far 'there' where he wants to be,” Kerri-Anne raged.</p> </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

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Australias emergency fuel reserves hit record low

<p>The countdown to a national fuel crisis is intensifying following reports that Australia’s emergency fuel reserves have hit a record low.</p> <p><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Yahoo7 reports</strong></em></span></a> government figures have revealed Australia has just days of emergency stock amid turmoil in the region and the Middle East.</p> <p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Fairfax Media reports</strong></em></span></a> the country only has a 22-day supply of crude oil, 59 days of LPG, 20 days of petrol, 19 days of aviation fuel and 21 days of diesel.</p> <p>The International Energy Agency expects countries to keep a 90-day supply of fuel up their sleeve in case of an emergency, but Australia has just under 50 days.</p> <p>In response to this data, Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is expected to announce a review of Australian fuel reserves.</p> <p>“With the supply and demand dynamics of global energy markets changing rapidly and nearly a decade since the last National Energy Security Assessment, the time is right to relook at and rethink Australia’s fuel security,” Mr Frydenberg told Fairfax.</p> <p>Liberal MP Andrew Hastie said this puts Australia at risk.</p> <p> “Our fuel stocks are well below the mandated 90 days… even New Zealand has greater fuel stocks than Australia,” Mr Hastie said.</p> <p>“Fifty per cent of our imported diesel and sixty per cent of our jet fuel comes through the South China Sea.</p> <p>“That leaves Australia very vulnerable to coercion through a disruption of our liquid fuel supply.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Travel Tips

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Do you save money by half-filling your fuel tank?

<p><em><strong>Tim Trudgian, Research Fellow in Mathematics, Australian National University asks what is the best strategy to save money at the bowser.</strong></em></p> <p>There are <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.racq.com.au/cars-and-driving/cars/owning-and-maintaining-a-car/fuel-saving-tips" target="_blank">many suggestions</a></strong></span> for saving money such as when and where to fill up, what time and day of the week and how to predict the highs and lows of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/petrol-diesel-and-lpg/petrol-price-cycles" target="_blank">price cycle</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>One theory on how to conserve fuel is to put less of it in your tank. The thinking is that you carry around less weight in the car, which means the engine does not have to work as much, which means a saving on fuel.</p> <p><strong>Does less save more?</strong></p> <p>But how much of a saving? And is this worth your while? This question has been asked (see <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080105/news_lz1dd5click.html" target="_blank">here</a></strong></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100507043855AAFaauR" target="_blank">here</a></strong></span> as typical examples), but not satisfactorily answered.</p> <p>To answer this we need to look at the fuel economy of the car. This is often quoted as litres per 100km, say, 6L/100km (typical for a small car running basic unleaded petrol). This means that under some given conditions, on average the car will use 6L of petrol to drive 100km.</p> <p>The conditions (sometimes stated in the quote, but often not) could be for: city driving, highway driving, two people in the car, etc. The more weight in the car, the harder the engine has to work to move the car at the same speed, and hence the worse (or higher) the fuel economy.</p> <p>One <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.drivealuminum.org/research-resources/PDF/Research/2008/2008-Ricardo-Study.pdf" target="_blank">study</a></strong></span> by consultants Ricardo Inc examined the effect of extra weight on fuel economy.</p> <p>Roughly, it found the fuel economy increases by between 1% and 2% for every 100 pounds (43.5 kg) of weight added inside the car. This figure does not factor in any extra weight outside of the car, such as roof racks, trailers or sidecars.</p> <p>Suppose we took the upper limit, 2%, and assumed a full tank of 60L in a car that is rated at 8L/100km (a typical family car).</p> <p><strong>Crunching the numbers</strong></p> <p>Since petrol has a density of roughly 720 grams/L the weight of the full tank of fuel is about 43.2kg. So, roughly, your fuel efficiency will drop to 8 x (1 + 0.02 x 43.2/43.5), which is roughly 8.16L/100km.</p> <p>As you drive, you use up some fuel, and hence carry less weight in the car. When you have used half a tank your fuel efficiency is now roughly 8.08L/100km: the car is travelling more efficiently than it was with a full tank.</p> <p>Suppose that we fill up the tank and see how far we can drive until we run out of fuel. Call this full-once: we have filled the tank with fuel once.</p> <p>Consider our filling the tank half-way, driving until we run out of fuel, then filling the tank half-way again, and driving once more until we run out of fuel. Call this half-twice: we have filled the tank half-way, twice.</p> <p>We will certainly travel further in the half-twice scenario. Why? We have used the same amount of fuel, but in the full-once scenario we had to suffer poor fuel efficiency (8.16 L/100km) at the start of our journey.</p> <p><strong>But how much do we save?</strong></p> <p>The actual price of fuel does not matter; the question is how much further will we travel in the half-twice scenario? This is not a simple high-school algebra calculation.</p> <p>The rate at which we are consuming fuel decreases as the weight of the fuel decreases. We can use some first- or second-year university mathematics and solve a differential equation to find the total distance covered.</p> <p>Assuming a fuel efficiency of 8L/100km, density of petrol at 720g/L, a loss of 2% of efficiency per 43.5kg, and a 60L tank, we find that we cover roughly 3.5km more in the half-twice scenario: not a lot by anyone’s standards.</p> <p>This is all well and good, but there is one obvious drawback to the half-twice scenario: we have to make an extra visit the fuel station and this costs us time.</p> <p>So, rather than figure out the distance we save in the half-twice scenario, we should figure out the time we save.</p> <p>Suppose we were driving at an average of 40kmh – this is lower than the urban speed limit owing to traffic congestion, slowing down, stopping at lights etc.</p> <p>Under the same assumptions as above (that gave us the extra 3.5km), this means we save a little over five minutes in the half-twice scenario. Again, not very much.</p> <p>The situation changes slightly for diesel cars. A tank of diesel weighs more than a tank of petrol (and so the savings should be increased), but according to the Ricardo study, the affect of weight on fuel economy is less pronounced.</p> <p>Diesel engines are also more efficient, but even with small fuel efficient diesel cars, such as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://rac.com.au/news-community/news-and-reports/publications/rac-enews/rac-enews-2010/top-%2020-most-fuel-efficient-cars" target="_blank">those suggested</a></strong></span> by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia, you cannot save more than five minutes.</p> <p><strong>Bigger is better</strong></p> <p>We can demonstrate a significant saving if we look at larger vehicles. Take a Toyota <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70-series/specifications/troop-carrier-gxl" target="_blank">Landcruiser 70 Troop Carrier GXL</a></strong></span>: this is a diesel engine with an urban fuel economy of 14.3L/100km.</p> <p>You make a saving here, not because the car is inherently efficient, but because its fuel tanks are enormous: it comes with two 90L tanks.</p> <p>Filling both tanks means an awful lot more fuel is carried around, and hence a more pronounced saving. Assuming an average speed of 40kmh, you would save nearly 14 minutes by filling up half as much, twice as often.</p> <p>If time is important to you then you can achieve savings of between five and 14 minutes – depending on the size of your vehicle – by only filling your tank to the half-full mark. If not, then you will need to find another strategy to save on your fuel costs. Happy hunting.</p> <p>Do you agree with this advice?</p> <p><em>Written by Tim Trudgian. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36260/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

Money & Banking

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Australia’s fuel crisis: Only 43 days before “real trouble”

<p>Australia is heading towards trouble according to energy experts, with supply of one of our major commodities expected to run out in a matter of days.</p> <p><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Australian reports</strong></em></span></a> Australia is at high risk of running out of fuel by the end of next month, due to supply issues exacerbated by the Syria attacks.</p> <p>The International Energy Agency mandates countries hold a fuel stock in reserve “equivalent to 90 days of net imports” but according to reports Australia only has 43 days of supply.</p> <p>Liberal Senator Jim Molan, who was once a major general in the Australian Army, <a href="https://www.2gb.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>told 2GB</strong></em></span></a>, “we stand in real trouble and this is a single point of failure for Australia, very similar to what could happen in a cyber situation”.</p> <p>“It happens because for too long we have taken a business as usual approach.</p> <p>“It’s like saying we can determine the size and shape of the Australian Defence Force based on commercial factors and making the market decide.</p> <p>“The way that we seem to get around this is that we buy credits overseas which ignores the entire problem.</p> <p>“Those credits say that if things go wrong we can buy from overseas but hang on our supply lines of communication by ship are likely to be either threatened or because of insurers nothing will come to us at all.”</p> <p>“It’s refined in Singapore, yes, but it’s also refined in Japan, in Korea and in China. It then is turned into diesel, aviation fuel and petrol and comes down in ships to Australia’s ports.”</p> <p>Mr Molan’s comments have been backed by Defence Strategy and Capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Dr Malcolm Davis, who says Australia’s fuel reserves would not last long if supply was cut off.</p> <p>“It would be a Mad Max world. Our society and our economy would begin to fall apart very quickly,” Dr Davis <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>told News.com.au</strong></em></span></a>.</p> <p>“It’s like electricity — everything depends on fuel to make an economy run. It is very serious.</p> <p>“We’ve left ourselves in a perilous situation and governments on both sides have been negligent in this regard.</p> <p>“Military analysts have been warning consistently for years and they just ignore it.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Do you think enough it being done to shore up Australia’s fuel supply? Let us know in the comments section below, we’d love to hear from you.</p>

News

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What happens when a plane dumps fuel mid-flight

<p>You’re probably already familiar with the concept of a plane dumping fuel, an important process designed to dramatically decrease an aircraft’s weight in emergency situations when it has to land earlier than it’s supposed to.</p> <p>But have you ever wondered what this process looks like?</p> <p>Well, thanks to one traveller, we can see it first-hand.</p> <p>Jeff Lambert, who was on the San Francisco-bound Qantas flight which had to return to Sydney quickly after taking off, filmed the following video of a fuel dump in action.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr">Here’s the plane dumping fuel, got an hour out of Sydney and told there was an issue with the autopilot not working and needed to head back😒 <a href="https://t.co/cW6Dj1FuR8">pic.twitter.com/cW6Dj1FuR8</a></p> — Jeff Lambert (@JeffLambert8) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffLambert8/status/921607458715402241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Lambert captioned the video, writing, “Here’s the plane dumping fuel, got an hour out of Sydney and told there was an issue with the autopilot not working and needed to head back.”</p> <p>Have you ever encountered this on your travels?</p> <p><em><strong>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Save money with Over60 Travel Insurance. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=link1&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance" target="_blank">To arrange a quote, click here.</a></span> Or for more information, call 1800 622 966.</strong></em></p>

International Travel

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5 ways to save money on fuel

<p>Unfortunately, petrol can be an expensive cost that fluctuates beyond your control. Although the price per litre is uncontrollable, these tips will help your dollar go further on your car’s fuel consumption.</p> <p><strong>1. Drive economically</strong></p> <p>More revs mean more petrol use, so take it easy on the accelerator as you drive. It is best to maintain a good distance from the car in front so you can avoid unnecessary acceleration and breaking, which ends up wasting fuel. If possible, avoid driving in peak hour and heavy traffic as these driving conditions use up fuel quickly.</p> <p><strong>2. Refuel when prices are low</strong></p> <p>Whenever you drive keep an eye on petrol prices so you can fill up when petrol prices are cheaper rather than waiting until your fuel tank is empty. The <a href="https://motormouth.com.au/mobile-app.html" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">MotorMouth app</span></strong></a> also allows you to find the best petrol prices around you. You select your fuel type and then can search the price at various locations.</p> <p><strong>3. Use air-conditioning minimally</strong></p> <p>When the weather is nice, put down the windows and enjoy the fresh air. This has been found to reduce fuel consumption by up to 10 per cent in urban driving. If you are driving at speeds of 100km/h or more, put your windows up. The wind drag created by having your windows down is costlier than using the air-conditioning.</p> <p><strong>4. Check tyre pressure</strong></p> <p>Tyres are not only critical to ensure the safety of your passengers but they also affect your fuel economy. Every so often, it is important to check the tyre placard fitted to your car. Set your tyre pressure to the maximum pressure recommendation. By ensuring you have the correct tyre pressure, you will reduce rolling resistance and fuel consumption by up to two per cent. You will also save money in the long run as having the correct tyre pressure maximises tyre life.</p> <p><strong>5. Unload heavy items from your car</strong></p> <p>Although it is easy to forget about your belongings in the boot of the car, it is worth finding them a permanent home. Extra weight in your car increases fuel consumption, especially in urban areas where there is frequent accelerating and breaking on the roads.</p> <p><em><strong>Make sure you keep safe and sound while on the road with Over60 Roadside Assistance. And because your safety is important to us all of the time, we will be there to help all day everyday, should you need it. For just $79.95 per year, with Over60 Roadside Assistance you’ll enjoy peace of mind when you’re out on the wide-open road to ensure you can enjoy life with less hassle. <a href="https://oversixty.disconline.com.au/sar/quote.jsp?hSty=EXOS&amp;cgpCde=00272&amp;hCenCde=10737&amp;LinkId=12071?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_campaign=insurance&amp;utm_medium=in-article-link-roadside&amp;utm_content=roadside-assistance" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Buy now.</span></a></strong></em></p>

Insurance

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Couple struggles to convince cabin crew of fuel leak

<p>Next to gremlins, gushing jet fuel is probably the last thing you want to notice on a plane’s wings moments before takeoff. But this was a reality for a honeymooning couple on a United Airlines flight recently.</p> <p>Rachel and Mike Brumfield noticed the emergency on their flight from Newark to Venice, but struggled to convince cabin crew that something was wrong.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr">Clearer video of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/united?src=hash">#united</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gasleak?src=hash">#gasleak</a>. How not one crew member saw this is beyond me. Thank god we were lookin out the window at take off. <a href="https://t.co/3BDZJ3S4xd">pic.twitter.com/3BDZJ3S4xd</a></p> — Rachel (@RachelEPas) <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelEPas/status/875065527726727169">June 14, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Mrs Brumfield, 28, said, “I will never fly United again. Every person there was awful.”</p> <p>Mr Brumfield sprinted through the plane to let the crew know what was going on, but the cabin crew reportedly yelled at him, ordering to sit down.</p> <p> “He’s like, ‘But something’s not right.” They said, ‘Is it an emergency?’ He said, ‘I don’t know,’ so they said, ‘Go sit down.’ They said, ‘Everything’s normal’,” Mrs Brumfield said.</p> <p>The crew members finally looked at the window, then rushed to the cockpit.</p> <p>United offered only a general statement on the incident.</p> <p>“While taxiing to the runway yesterday evening, United flight 170 travelling from Newark to Venice, Italy returned to the gate due to a fuel leak, and was later cancelled. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience. Our team helped provide customers with hotel accommodations for the night and are working to get them back on their way to Venice today,” said spokesman Jonathan Guerin.</p> <p>Have you ever had a similar incident?</p> <p><em><strong>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-insurance/?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=travel-insurance"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To arrange a quote, click here.</span></a> For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966.</strong></em></p> <p> </p>

Travel Insurance

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Three teen siblings killed in tragic fuel tanker crash

<p>Three siblings travelling home from a New South Wales fair have been tragically killed in a horror crash involving two semi-trailers and a car.</p> <p>Jack Pink, 19, and his sisters Marina, 17, and Destiny, 15, were travelling in two vehicles when the collision occurred on the Newell Highway, near Boggabilla on the state border, about 6am on Monday.</p> <p>The siblings were killed instantly when the three cars collided. It is believed that Jack, who was driving the truck, veered onto the wrong side of the road into the path of the tanker, which then swerved off the highway. His sisters were driving in the car behind him.</p> <p>The family work on the travelling show circuit and were returning home to Brisbane from a fair in Dubbo.</p> <p>The only survivor of the tragic crash, the driver of the tanker, was airlifted to hospital.</p> <p>A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Pink family.</p> <p>"As you can imagine this is an incredibly difficult time for their parents Jaze and Glenn and siblings Coral, Jeanna, George and Patrick," a statement reads.</p> <p>"Jaze and Glen are good people with an amazing family ... What they do is everything for the kids. To lose 1 would be crazy. They lost 3 in 1 split second is just out of this world.</p> <p>"They are great people and their sacrificial love for their kids knows no bounds. This is a crushing blow to this tight knit family."</p> <p>The page also said Marina would have turned 18 today.</p> <p>Our thoughts are with their family. </p>

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10 simple tips for fuel efficient driving

<p>When you consider how much a trip to the bowser generally costs, it only makes sense that you’d want to be doing everything possible to ensure you don’t have to return more frequently than you have to. The good news is there’s actually quite a lot you can do.</p> <p>We’ve put together 10 simple tips for fuel efficient driving. These measures will get more mileage out of your vehicle, so you get the most out of each tank.</p> <p><strong>1. Drive smoothly as possible</strong></p> <p>Try to drive smoothly, rather than rushing to the speed limit and braking forcefully (except in an emergency). Erratic braking and acceleration guzzles petrol.</p> <p><strong>2. Switch off the engine</strong></p> <p>An idling car uses up more petrol than you think, so if you’re stuck in a gridlock and not moving anywhere don’t be afraid to switch your engine off for a moment.</p> <p><strong>3. Be mindful of your speed</strong></p> <p>The rate you’re moving makes a big difference in terms of fuel consumption, and a car travelling at 110kph uses much more fuel than one driving at 90kph.</p> <p><strong>4. Make sure tyres are inflated</strong></p> <p>The inflation of your tyres is essential for optimum performance, so keep your tyres inflated and make sure you check the pressure of them regularly. </p> <p><strong>5. Turn your air conditioner off</strong></p> <p>If you don’t need your air conditioner don’t use it. In some vehicles, operating your air conditioner at speeds greater than 80kph can use 10 per cent extra fuel. </p> <p><strong>6. Remove unnecessary accessories</strong></p> <p>Items like roof racks and spoilers add significantly to air resistance, which you’ll pay for over time at the bowser. So if you don’t need these items, lose them!</p> <p><strong>7. Undertake regular maintenance</strong></p> <p>The key to good engine performance is regular maintenance and if your car is well-tuned you can be confident your vehicle is using fuel as efficiently as possible.</p> <p><strong>8. Lighten the load</strong></p> <p>Are lighter car is a more efficient car, so if you’ve got personal items like golf clubs, fitness equipment in the boot remove them before setting out. </p> <p><strong>9. Lazy gear selection</strong></p> <p>If you’re driving a manual, avoid sitting in a low gear once revs are sufficient to change up and avoid sitting in a high gear when engine is straining to maintain revs as this practice can have you burning through quite a lot of fuel over time.</p> <p><strong>10. Stay alert in an automatic</strong></p> <p>If you’re driving an automatic vehicle, be conscious of your use of the accelerator. Ease off slightly when the engine is ready to change up and you can save fuel.</p> <p>How do you handle petrol prices? Can you see yourself using any of these tips? Or are there any that you use yourself that we should include.</p> <p>Share your thoughts in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/news/news/2016/06/queens-sneaky-solution-to-couple-blocking-her-car/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>The Queen’s sneaky solution to a couple blocking her car</em></strong></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/homemade-windscreen-washing-fluid/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">3 ways to make your own windscreen washing fluid</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/05/futuristic-hoverbus-china-traffic-problem/"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Futuristic hoverbus to tackle China’s traffic problem</em></span></strong></a></p>

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Get ready to pay more for petrol as Labor backs Government’s fuel tax increases

<p>Everyday motorists will be hit with bigger bills to run their vehicles, as Labor plans to support legislation to make petrol tax increases law.</p> <p>Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has demanded that the Government spend $1.1 billion in fuel excise revenue on regional roads.</p> <p>The fuel taxes, which had been frozen for almost 15 years, will increase in February and August.</p> <p>The cost to your hip pocket is estimated at around 40 cents per week for a typical household using 50 litres of fuel each week. The tax will raise an extra $23 billion over 10 years for the Government.</p> <p>According to a statement from the Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and Transport Minister Warren Truss, “While the impact on individual households is modest, this measure will provide a predictable and growing source of revenue, which will help the Government boost its investment in job creating and productivity enhancing road infrastructure.”</p> <p>As requested by Labor, Government plans to provide an extra $1.105 billion over the next two years in funding for the Roads to Recovery Program.</p> <p>“This means local governments across Australia will receive an extra $300 million in 2015-16, on top of the already doubled $700 million they are receiving this year. In 2016-17, local governments will receive an extra $805 million in addition to the $350 million they were already scheduled to receive,” said the ministers’ statement.</p> <p>The Opposition rejected the tax rises implemented by regulation last year. Mr Shorten said the funds should be passed on to local councils where improvements to transport are needed, and create jobs to target youth unemployment rates where they can be as high as 20 per cent.</p> <p>“The $1.1 billion boost to the Roads to Recovery program will stimulate regional economies, generating much needed jobs and a boost for vital local infrastructure,” he said in a statement.</p> <p>“The Government has smashed confidence since it came to office and undermined the transition in our economy.”</p> <p>Mr Shorten will have to explain why Labor’s previously strong opposition to the “tax on everything” idea is now acceptable.</p> <p>“The Government broke a promise when they introduced this petrol tax (in the 2014 Budget),” said Mr Shorten. “So first of all anyone who rewards the Government and says they have been clever by breaking a promise I think misunderstands the Australian people.”</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/older-women-most-at-risk-of-internet-scams/">Older woman are the most at risk for online scams</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/bet-limits-for-melbourne-poker-machines/">Melbourne to introduce bet limits for poker machines</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/news/news/2015/06/school-for-homeless-children/">This amazing school caters exclusively to homeless children</a></em></strong></span></p>

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