City of Wilmington taking measures to lower fuel costs

The cost of filling up is draining wallets and it is not just having an impact on consumers. The city of Wilmington is also getting hit hard.

The city has 225 vehicles in its fleet. That includes every department except fire.

Now the city is looking for ways to cut back on gas usage as the price of fuel cuts into the bottom line.

The City of Wilmington spends more than $1,000,000 a year on gas. Like most cities, it buys in bulk to keep costs down. But these days, it is still no bargain.

Wilmington city spokesperson Malissa Talbert said, “As fuel prices started to increase, because we have so many vehicles we use to provide services, it was really having an impact on our budget.”

An email went out to everyone with a city vehicle. It recommended several fuel-saving measures like keeping vehicles properly maintained, avoiding long periods of idling, limiting air conditioner use, and driving slower.

The city now uses biodiesel in its garbage and fire trucks.

“We are also trying to move in the direction of having hybrid and electric vehicles as much as we can. Just in the past year, we have bought 10 hybrid vehicles,” said Talbert.

And starting next year, the city will put GPS devices inside its vehicles.

Talbert said, “We can track, at a central location, if our drivers are using the most efficient route, how long they’re there and when they’re coming back.”

In addition to traditional fuel-saving measures, the WPD is encouraging more officers to walk as they patrol the streets, and the department is trying to maximize the use of police horses downtown.

The police department allows officers to take patrol cars home for the evening. Many officers live outside the city limits. The department says there are no plans right now to restrict the take-home vehicle policy.

“We negotiate every single week for the price of gas. We’re just like everybody else, and we need to look for the cheapest price that we can find,” said Talbert.

City officials say if fuel prices continue to climb, they could resort to tighter restrictions like banning out-of-town travel.