News
Five Simple Steps to Cut Down On Gas Costs
by John Felmy
G
as prices are rising across the country — and the pri-
mary reason is the cost of making fuel. While both
supply and demand for gasoline have risen in the
United States, the worldwide demand for crude oil is up and
the supply of crude oil is down. Middle East turmoil and
loss of supply have further tightened markets. The
increased crude oil costs and higher mandates for ethanol
have made gasoline more expensive to make.
Fortunately, there are some simple steps that you can take
to offset higher gas prices and keep more money in your
wallet. Here are five of them:
1. Drive slower.
Driving at high speeds makes your engine run at more
revolutions per minute — and consume more fuel. And
when your car is traveling faster, it’s also facing greater air
resistance, which requires the engine to work harder. So
don’t floor the accelerator unless it’s an emergency. Driving
55 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour can improve
your car’s fuel economy by about 2 miles per gallon.
2. Avoid abrupt stops and starts.
The herky-jerky trips most commuters are familiar with
don’t just give us headaches — they also cost us fuel.
Starting from a full stop is a particularly energy-intensive
activity for an engine. And the extra gas each rev-up costs
quickly adds up to a much bigger bill at the pump.
So try to make your car rides as smooth as possible. Use
back roads to avoid lights and traffic jams. Keep an ample
distance between you and the car in front of you to avoid
unnecessary braking and accelerating.
When approaching a red light, try to slow down gradual-
ly to avoid a full stop before speeding back up again. And
when you’re at a full stop, don’t gun it after the light turns
green — gradual starts can use up to 40 percent less gas
than abrupt ones.
3. Don’t overuse your air
conditioner.
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A vehicle’s air conditioner works by compressing a cool-
ing agent. That process requires energy. And in a car, that
source of energy is the fuel in your tank.
On a blistering summer day, of course, it’s fine to turn on
the air conditioner. But once you’ve cooled down, don’t
keep the inside of your car at refrigerator-low temperatures.
Overusing the air conditioner can reduce a car’s fuel econ-
omy by up to two miles per gallon.
When it’s a nice day, roll down the windows. And make a
point to park in the shade.
4. Plan your trips in advance.
Taking a series of short trips instead of a single long one
can put many extra miles on an engine. Plan ahead to com-
bine errands and cut down on short trips. Pick the kids up
from school, buy groceries, and drop a package off at the
post office in one trip instead of three.
And consider carpooling. When you share a ride you
aren’t just splitting gas costs — you’re also cutting down on
expenses like insurance and taxes and helping the environ-
ment.
... there are some simple
steps that you can take to
offset higher gas prices and
keep more money in your
wallet
regular tune-ups it requires. Properly maintaining your car
can dramatically cut down on gas consumption and save
you money.
For example, properly inflated tires can improve fuel effi-
ciency by up to 3 percent. When tires start losing pressure,
the engine has a tougher time pushing the car forward —
and thus consumes more gas. The average vehicle on the
road right now has its tires under-inflated by over 7 percent,
which can cause about a 3 percent loss in fuel economy.
Removing excess weight in the cabin or trunk of the vehi-
cle will also improve fuel efficiency. Simply removing this
load can reduce fuel consumption and help to lower emis-
sions.
Gas prices could continue to rise over the next few
months. But even if they don’t, these five simple steps will
help you reduce your fuel consumption — and conserve
your cash.
John Felmy is the chief economist at the american
Petroleum institute.
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5. Maintain your car.
Analysis of gas costs in 1938
Too many American drivers don’t get their vehicle the
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Page 14 The Portland Skanner march 30, 2011