Ten Things You Can Do to Save Money at the Pump
1. Drive Smart! When you drive aggressively, you
waste gas and put others at risk. Observe the speed limit, avoid rapid
acceleration and braking, and maintain a constant speed on the road.
2. Keep Your Car In
Shape. A well-tuned
car burns less gasoline. So make sure that you get your oil and air filters
changed regularly, and that your tires are always properly inflated.
3. Change Your Commute. When you sit in rush hour traffic,
you are burning gas and going nowhere. If possible, try to adjust your work
schedule so that you can avoid rush hour traffic. Even better, and if your
employer allows it, think about telecommuting.
4. Use Public
Transportation.
Look into the public transportation options in your area, and use them as much
as possible.
5. Try To Combine Your
Errands. According
to the Department of Energy, several short trips taken from a cold start can
use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip covering the same
distance when the engine is warm.
6. Go for a Ride or
Walk. Rather than
drive your car to the corner store or a friend's house, walk or ride your bike
there.
7. Car Pool. Carpool or use ride-share programs
if you can. This might also enable you to shorten the time of your commute by using
High Occupancy Vehicle (
8. Pack Light. According to the Department of
Energy, a loaded roof rack on your car can decrease fuel economy by
approximately five percent. Also, every 100 pounds you carry in a car reduces a
typical car's fuel economy by one to two percent. So, when you go on vacation
or a long car trip, put everything you can in the trunk, and pack light.
9. Think Hybrid. The most fuel-efficient vehicles on
the road today are hybrid-electric cars. A hybrid combines an electric motor
with a conventional, but cleaner, gasoline-powered engine. Over its lifetime, a
50-mile per gallon hybrid Toyota Prius will use half as much gas, and release
half as much global-warming pollution, as a 23-mpg Pontiac Grand Prix.
10. Consider Sharing. Rather than buy a new car, sign up
for membership with a car-sharing program such as
Flexcar or Zipcar. These programs allow you to reserve and drive cars by the
hour -- and they cover the cost of the vehicle, insurance, gas, parking, and
maintenance