THE HOME IS THE FASTEST AND BEST PLACE TO CONSERVE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE, ASPHAULT CAN STEAL MONEY LIKE THE TREAD OFF YOUR TIRE...

Savings –        Conserving on the road can save you over $50 each month.

GENERAL DRIVING HABITS

1. Avoid aggressive driving. “Jack Rabbit” starts or flooring the gas pedal wastes gas and a high pollution rating.  Driving this way for one second could produce as much carbon monoxide as driving conservatively for a half an hour.

2. The speed limit is more than just for safety.  Following the speed limit can save you gas.  Driving 65 mph instead of speeding at 75 mph can lower your fuel economy by 10%. Drive between 50 and 65 mph will save you the most amount of gas than at any other speed. At this speed you car will be the most efficient possible.

3. Most vehicles have a setting called overdrive gear. If you have it, use it. When driving a manual transmission shift up to top gear as soon as your car can get there.  By running at a higher gear makes your car more efficient, decreases your fuel consumption, decreases your RPMs, and decreases engine wear.

4. Look ahead. Try to anticipate stop signs, red lights, and even quick turns, so that you can coast into a stopping position or around the turn.  

5. Open your vents and windows to cool off your cars instead of using your air conditioner.  If it is too hot you can’t get around it, but as much as possible cool the car with outside air.  The air conditioner uses a great deal of fuel consumption and emits more carbon monoxide.

6. If you will be sitting parked in traffic, a stop sign, or anywhere for more than 30 seconds, turn off your engine.  It will take you 30 to waste more gas than to turn off your car and turn it back on.

7. Drive smoothly, jerking the wheel, speeding up, and slowing down will all kill you gas efficiency.

8. Use Cruise Control where you can. This saves gas up to 14%, average of 7%.

PREPARATION BEFORE MAKING A TRIP IN THE CAR

1. Plan ahead and combine your trips.  When you are going to pick up kids, go to the grocery store, bank, and do any other shopping you need to do before or after you pick them up.

2. Plan ahead and avoid rush hour.  Avoid the stop and go, bumper to bumper traffic because every time you stop and start your momentum in the car you lose gas mileage and emit more fumes.

3. Watch out how much weight you carry around in your car. An extra 100 pounds will decrease your fuel efficiency by 1%. Unload anything that is not needed.

4. If you have an old car, let it warm up for one to two minutes. For newer cars, you only need 30 seconds to 1 minute to warm up.  During the winter, give your car another minute to warm up. Any more time is a waste of fuel. Any less time will not allow the oil to lubricate the engine and waste fuel until it warms up but at a higher rate.

5. If you are going to a large event and have many people taking multiple cars, think about renting a large passenger van instead of wasting the gas for multiple vehicles.

6. Driving into head winds of 20 mph can reduce fuel economy by about 6%. Driving up hills of over 7% grade can cut fuel economy by as much as 25%.

IMPORTANT MAINTENANCE HABITS

1. Maintaining your car is the most important way to save fuel and the environment.

2.  Make sure your tires are filled to the recommended level.  Make sure all four tires are equal in pressure to stop wear of tires.  Keep tires pumped up to the level recommended on the tire or on the side of the drivers door.  Every 3 pounds below this recommended level will cause a decrease in fuel efficiency by 1%. Tires can lose about 1-2 lbs of pressure per month so test your tires every time you fill up.

3. There are two types of tires that are best for fuel efficiency.  Stock tires are always the best for your car for cost and fuel efficiency.  You can also buy low-rolling-resistance (LLR) tires which are suppose to be able to improve your fuel efficiency by as much as 4%.

4. Keep a record of all of your gas receipts. On each of the receipts, write the mileage of the car. From that use this equation to find your gas mileage: (mileage of this fill-up (-) minus mileage of last fill-up) all divided by (gallons filled this fill-up).  Ex: (18,858 miles – 18,599) / (11.2 gallons) = 23.1 miles per gallon (mpg).  This gas mileage can deviate up or down because of the amount of city or highway driving you have made.

5. Check this every few weeks when you fill up. If you notice it decreasing there could be a small problem with your car.  First check the lights on your dashboard. There could also be a problem with your brakes and engine.  You can use this as a advance warning so you don’t break down on the road.

6. At least once a year, get a tune-up for your car. You can do it yourself or have a mechanic do it. This tune-up will include spark plugs, air filter, fluid levels, rotating tires, and a few other improvements on your car to help fuel efficiency. Recycle all used fluids through a mechanics shop.

7. Make sure that you are changing your oil every three months or 3000 miles. This lubricates your engine, lengthens the life of the vehicle, and allows it to run freely and efficiency.  Check your owner’s manual for specific recommendations. Recycle all used fluids through a mechanics shop.

8. Have a vehicle’s emission and safety systems check every year or two. 

9. Take the vehicle into the shop immediately after a dashboard light appears.  Note: Checkers or AutoZone will check your engine dashboard lights for free.

10. Some reports have said that a new oxygen sensor can improve your gas efficiency by 15%.

GOOD FILL-UP HABITS

1. Regular unleaded is the most efficient gas you can buy for your money.  Use this unless your user’s manual asks differently. Higher-octane fuels do not increase efficiency, though you should flush you fuel tank at least twice a year with premium gas and a fuel injection cleaner supplement.

2. Don’t top off your fuel tank. Most likely this will cause a little to overflow and waste gas, plus every ounce of fumes that flows out of the tank is gas lost. Both fumes from gas and the gas the evaporates from the gas station floor emits smog type fumes.

3. Frequent your visits to gas stations that have vapor recovery nozzles, which are black accordion plastic devices found around the nozzle and seal the opening of the fuel tank while they fill up.

PARKING HABITS THAT MATTER

1. Find shade as often as possible to park in. Hot cars create hot gas tanks and evaporation.  This also causes the inside of the car to heat up and make the use of Air Conditioners more frequent.

2. If you have a garage, use it.  If you park the car inside during the winter, you need less time to warm up. If you park the car inside during the summer, you need less Air Conditioning to cool down the inside.

3. If there are no garages or shade available, use windshield shades which can cut down the heat build-up and preserve your leather dashboard.

COMMUTING, ALTERNATIVE, AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS

1. Set up your own commuting program with friends and co-workers that are work in the same area as you.  Work with them to either share pay for gas or switch off whose car you will use.  Especially with gas prices shooting through the roofs this will save your pocket book and the environment.

2. There are many programs that have been set up by your community, government, and your work that you can join to save gas and environment. Check them out on the internet or contact the Department of Transportation.

3. If you can’t find a commuting program contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Transportation and ask about their incentives for businesses to start-up these programs. These incentives include cash as well as other incentives.

4. Companies can give incentives for their employees to start these programs such as: free incentives (some give free walking shoes), monthly drawings, medical insurance benefits, and time off.   Check with these two government agencies for other incentives for companies to chip into these programs.

5. Public Transportation is the cheapest, easiest, and most efficient way of getting around if it can get you to work on its route. Check with trains, subways, and bus systems. Get a season pass and save a great deal of money, gas, emissions, and other resources.

6. Bike or walk as much as possible to save money, gas, emissions, and get a great work out.

NEW TECHNOLOGY SAVES GAS

1. Hybrid vehicles can be good idea unless you are looking to save money.  The amount of money they save is not enough to make it worth it unless you have the money. Instead find cars such as the Toyota Corolla, which gets 35 mpg-city / 38 mpg-highway driving.  This car gives you gas efficiency close enough not to buy an expensive hybrid. 

2. If you can afford a hybrid, they are great to save the environment and save on gas.  Most hybrids will pay you back by five years with efficiency of around 50 mpg. Please read: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/01/28/buy.hybrid/index.html?iref=newssearch