Starting your car every few hours in this extremely cold weather makes sense, right? Well, it turns out this might not be the best option.  

“It takes a quarter of the battery power to start the car,” Chad Garling, owner and operator of Hillview Service in Weyburn said. “If your battery is dead or half-dead, you pretty much want to drive to Calgary to charge it back up.” 

Garling explained that driving a long distance gives your car a chance to charge, rather than simply starting it and draining the battery. He adds that it’s also a good idea to plug in your car, but only when it’s really cold.  

“The trouble with a lot of new ones is they're not meant to be plugged until it's really cold. All the GM vehicles now have a thermostat on the block heater. It doesn't work until 18 below.” 

Garling said that your car should be okay if you get your battery tested and keep a new one in the vehicle.