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You don't have to go out and buy a new car to get better gas mileage and cut your fuel expenses. With record-high gas prices at the pumps and prices per gallon likely to keep getting higher, some crafty tricks here and there will make your driving more fuel-efficient and save your some cash.
The national average price for unleaded regular gasoline is more than $3 per gallon. Prices have risen about 40 percent since the beginning of the year, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. Every few cents adds up to a bigger fuel total for you. And some cost-saving ideas can trim your budget substantially. These methods don't have to cost anything, either; they just require a little extra brainpower and, like most changes in habits, depend on your desire to become more aware of what those habits are.
So, here are 12 simple steps you can take to increase your gas mileage, save money, and put less pollution into the air.
1. Switch your commuting time
You can increase your gas mileage by 25 percent simply by figuring out the best time to travel in order to avoid traffic. Stop-and-start driving wastes fuel, never mind time: Congestion costs the U.S. almost $70 billion a year in wasted fuel and lost time. That works out to more than $1,100 per traveler and about 6 billion gallons of gas per year, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
With GPS systems linked into traffic reporting services, many cars have the intelligence-gathering equipment right on board to help you get where you are going faster and more efficiently. Moreover, many websites now include traffic reports with mapping services, and some areas now have microsignal radio channels-low-power, localized broadcasts that you can tune in to for a heads-up on delays.
Leaving home earlier or working later might also help get you that raise you've been waiting for; the boss doesn't have to know that you're hanging around to save on fuel costs. As auto analysts often note, when you are stopped in traffic, you are getting zero miles per gallon.
2. Plan your fill-ups in advance
AAA introduced a cool little service earlier this year that allows people to see the gas prices offered at different gas stations along whichever route they are planning to take. Use the TripTik Travel Planner and opt to see gas stations along your route. You can get price information by clicking on each gas station icon.
AAA notes that sometimes the price difference between gas stations near each other doesn't seem like much, but the savings can add up, especially if you are planning a long trip. Peg your fill-ups to target locations so you can reap the best prices. For example, Georgia typically has the lowest gas prices in the nation. So travelers who know that they are going to cross that state line during a particular trip might wait to fill up until they arrive in the Peach State. Or over a long interstate toll road, it might be worth figuring which exits serve up the best gas prices, along with the tastiest fast food and snack offerings.
3. Carpool
We've all heard it. But you can save 50 percent on your gas bill simply by hitching a ride with a coworker (or a friend who is going wherever you are headed). Considering that the average worker spends almost $8,000 per year commuting to the same place every day, it can't be all that bad teaming up. And you can read the newspaper, or put on some headphones, and soon enough Johnny officemate becomes Jeeves your driver.
4. Ditch the drag
Take the ski totes off the roof, remove the luggage rack from the minivan, and get rid of all that sporting equipment in your trunk. Extra weight and poor aerodynamics can knock down your fuel efficiency by several percentage points.
5. Don't slam on the brakes
Driving smoothly will not only keep the coffee from spilling on your lap (and who knows what hazards ensue from that) but will also help you save money. Overall, avoiding hard acceleration and braking, and maintaining a steady pace in top gear, gives you the best mileage. FuelEconomy.gov reports that aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by up to 33 percent at highway speeds.
6. Stop idling
A car idling emits up to 20 times more carbon than a car going 32 mph. That pollution indicates something else: wasted gas. You aren't going anywhere when the car is stopped. But your engine doesn't know any different; it's still burning fuel-as much as half a gallon every hour, according to one study by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
We know it's difficult to get out of the car sometimes when that wicked awesome Def Leppard song is still playing, so consider turning the engine off and keeping the radio on. In cold climates, try using devices such as engine-block heaters, which allow you to warm up your car without starting it.
7. Inflate your tires
Staying firm and tight isn't just a workout goal for your abs. Make it your mantra for your tires as well. Keeping your tires in good shape and properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent, according to FuelEconomy.gov. The more air in the tires, the less friction between them and the road surface. Less friction equals more efficiency. And more efficiency means your engine doesn't have to work harder to push your car in the direction it's headed; the tire itself is helping to maintain the momentum.
So get rid of those sagging tires of yours and tighten them up with some air. If only your glutes were as cooperative!
8. Keep your engine well maintained
FuelEconomy.gov reports that a well-tuned car can improve performance by 40 percent. That's a huge savings for something you should be doing anyway to preserve the value of your car. Tuning your engine usually means getting the timing and fuel ratio in sync to maximize efficiency. In other words, make sure your spark plugs work and kick-start your engine properly so that fuel flows through the system smoothly and without waste. Just as your body has to work extra hard to move when you're sick, so too does poor maintenance put a strain on your car's engine.
It's never a good idea to wait for a problem. Preventive maintenance can keep you running better on less energy. And we're talking about your car now.
9. Use quality oil and lubricants
You can keep your engine smooth and sexy by using standard motor oil that contains a friction-reducing additive. This can help to improve your fuel economy by as much as 12 percent.
Oil additives can also be found at most auto supply outlets. Most of them are worthless, so you have to do a little research before you buy one. But if nothing else, get good-quality standard motor oil for your car or truck; there are no scams with those.
Good motor oil does what it's supposed to do and lubricates your engine so there is the least amount of friction. On every bottle of motor oil, a seal tells you the API service rating, which indicates the quality level of the oil and the type of engine for which it's intended.
10. Slow down
Speeding won't just cost you a ticket-you'll pay a penalty at the gas station, too. Keeping your car moving at the highway speed of 55 mph can improve your gas mileage by as much as 25 percent, compared with 75 mph, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a general rule, your fuel efficiency drops by two percent for every mile per hour over 55.
By not accelerating when you're driving uphill and using your cruise control whenever possible, you can save even more. Consistency is the key in fuel economy.
Trying to outrun Boss Hogg and cursing as you pass the good buddy chugging uphill in a semi will only dig your deeper into oil-well debt. The Dukes would be displeased.
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