City of Orange staffers have found an easy way to pare $50,000 off the city’s annual budget — by switching to cheaper gasoline.
In the 2009-10 budget, City Manager John Sibley made note of how the city’s Fleet Services will save money by switching from 91 octane to 87 octane.
According to Orange County Gas Prices, the Pit Stop, at 700 W. Chapman Avenue, is selling premium unleaded (91 octane) at $2.98 a gallon, the least-expensive rate in Orange and Villa Park. Regular unleaded (87 octane) gasoline is $2.78 a gallon at the same location.
City spokesman Paul Sitkoff said the switch happened in April after a city employee suggested it during a budget-planning session.
“The city has always used 91 prior to the recent changeover, because a good number of the high-powered engines required premium fuel (as per the manufacturer specs),” Sitkoff wrote in a e-mail. “In the past few years, auto manufacturers began building more efficient engines that could run on the 87 octane fuel.”
Sitkoff said the city has approximately 425 vehicles. All of the gasoline-fueled vehicles, except six BMW police motorcycles, switched to 87 octane.
Manufacturer’s specifications recommend the motorcycles use 91 octane. Sitkoff said those motorcycles will eventually be phased out.
“The 87 octane will not harm any of our vehicles,” Sitkoff said. “The city staff in charge of our vehicle maintenance will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that there are no detrimental effects to the engines.”
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But what grade to the vehicles REQUIRE? If they require 87 then they were fools to ever put 91 in them, but if the cars require a higher octane then you can flush those savings down the toilet in lost fuel economy. The vehicles will retard timing to make up for the lower grade fuel, effecting performance and fuel economy.
If they want to save more then should teach the city employees how to drive for fuel economy: pressing the pedals down only a third of the way to stop and start and leaving more room in order to do so. Stopping and starting slower will save a lot more money than switching octane.
Perhaps a drop in higher octane will follow. If so, cars requiring higher octane can save a little too. Time will only tell.
Thanks for the clarification on requirements… they should have figured out they could have switched as soon as they got the new cars. Leave it to government to not figure that one out!
Ewww, I hate 87 octane. Even my Honda Accord four-banger notices a difference between 87 and 91. However, since I usually drive only on flat surfaces, 87 is sufficient. When I go to Vegas, though, I fill’er up with 91 to get past through hills.
Any car can use 87 octane, but usually high-performance European vehicles actually suggest using it for optimum performance. The fact that commone utility vehicles are pumping 91 octane seems a complete waste.
How about saving more money by eliminating the “perk” cars that the bigwigs drive?
totally agree!
Lauren -
It’s an interesting way to save $50,000
Most cars can take 87. Only high performance vehicle require no less than 92. Even some older, classic cars require 92.
“The city has always used 91 prior to the recent changeover, because a good number of the high-powered engines required premium fuel (as per the manufacturer specs),” Sitkoff wrote in a e-mail. “In the past few years, auto manufacturers began building more efficient engines that could run on the 87 octane fuel.”
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Is anyone at the helm? If this is quoted properly, then the city maintenance department ignores vehicle-by-vehicle requirements. Most likely, there are gas tanks in the maintenance yards for city vehicles with one level of octane. That adds a layer of bureaucracy and EPA requirements that is unneeded $$ out the door.
Think how much more they could save if they switched to Hybrid vehicles like Brea and other cities are doing.
High Top:
That is a good idea but they can’t make that change all at once, they need to begin replacing vehicles with hybrids as they take older ones out of service.
Keep in mind that there are probably many city vehicles that can not be replaced by hybrids such as larger trucks.
Talking about a Face-Palm moment. So, your telling me that common everyday vehicles including escorts, cavaliers and the like have been running around burning 91 octane up until recently?!! Must be nice to spend other people’s money on the equivalent of caviar for your Corolla.
Other commenters have already covered this, but I’ll add to the conversation anyway: This article is incomplete. What exactley are they changing? Were they using 91 in vehicles that recommended 87? Or are they now going to put 87 in vehicles that recommend 91? Or both?
They should be using whatever is recommended. Putting 91 in a car designed for 87 does nothing good and will probably reduce mileage. Same goes for using 87 in a car designed for 91. The only time using 91 in a car designed for 87 is beneficial is in a car that knocks/pings, which usually occurs under heavy load like going up a hill or hard acceleration.
The simple question is this: Were they doing the wrong thing before, and have corrected themselves, or the other way around?