Summer on the Job: Safety and Fuel-Saving Tips for Electrical and Plumbing Crews

Summer means long days, packed schedules, and jobs stacking up faster than you can dispatch your crews. But while your vans and trucks are out keeping homes and businesses running, high heat can quietly eat away at your bottom line through increased fuel burn, vehicle stress, and driver fatigue.

If you’re running electrical or plumbing teams throughout your area all day, here’s what you need to watch out for when the temperature climbs, and how to stay ahead with smarter habits and better tools.

1. Cut Down on Hot-Weather Idling
   Service calls often mean waiting in driveways or curbs, and idling can feel like a necessary evil to keep the cab cool and the tools powered. But excessive idling can burn up to a gallon of gas or diesel per hour, per vehicle. That adds up across a fleet.

Encourage techs to shut off engines if they’re parked longer than a couple minutes. Cracking windows, using sunshades, or parking in shaded areas can keep cabs cooler while minimizing idle time. If you have newer vans, consider programming idle timers to help manage waste automatically.

2. Use A/C Smarter, Not Harder
   No one’s expecting your techs to sweat through their shift, but inefficient A/C use can drive up fuel use fast. Make sure cabin air filters are clean and refrigerant levels are checked before summer kicks into full gear. Teach crews to run A/C on lower fan settings and to avoid blasting it on max with windows open, it only works harder and burns more fuel.
3. Stay Ahead of Fleet Maintenance Fails
   Diligent in-house inspections can catch you off guard, especially in the heat. Vans and trucks pulling trailers or carrying heavy loads are more likely to be flagged because of the additional weight for the job. Summer weak points? Tire blowouts from over-inflation, leaking fluids, worn-out wiper blades, and overheating engines.

Prevent roadside issues by reminding your drivers to check tire pressure when tires are cold (before the heat expands them) and to inspect coolant levels and belts during weekly checks. A few minutes in the morning can prevent hours of downtime later.

4. Heat Kills Focus
   Your crew might not be hauling freight, but mental fatigue hits just as hard after a full day of crawling through attics or digging in the sun. Studies show that heat-related fatigue slows reaction time and increases the chance of mistakes, or even injury.

Remind your team to hydrate throughout the day and take breaks in cool areas when possible. If your crews are in older buildings, tight crawl spaces, or rooftops, build heat awareness into your safety protocols. Heat stress doesn’t always show up right away, but it can sneak up fast.

5. Watch for DPF Issues on Heavily Used Trucks
   For diesel fleet owners, this one’s big: high idle time during service calls or loading equipment can trigger more frequent regenerations or clog your DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). If your vans are constantly in stop-and-go or parked with the engine running, you’ll want to schedule more frequent DPF cleanings, especially in the summer.
6. Save More at the Pump with the Energie Fuel Card
   You can’t control the heat, but you can control your fuel costs. The Energie Fuel Card helps electrical and plumbing businesses get access to discounted fuel rates, plus track expenses, prevent fraud, and manage driver limits in real-time. Whether you’ve got two vans or twenty, every gallon saved makes a difference.

Summer is a busy season, so don’t let fuel waste or vehicle issues slow your crews down. Smarter habits, consistent maintenance, and the right fuel card can keep your operation running cooler and leaner through the hottest months of the year.