Many consumers are worried about the rising gas prices. Whether you are driving your car across town or across the country, everyone is looking for helpful hints on how to save money at the pump. We are all feeling the noose tighten around our wallets, so here are some tips on how you can begin saving money at the gas station today!

The number one thing a consumer can do is to change the way they drive and become more aware of their routine vehicle maintenance. Many of us use more gasoline than is necessary. If you were to make a few minor adjustments in the way you drive you may be able to save at the pump. Here are some driving tips that will help you conserve gasoline.

1. Drive Intelligently – when you are an aggressive driver you are wasting gas as well as putting others on the road at risk.
2. Quit Speeding – A driver who speeds reduces their miles per gallon by at least 15%. As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag also increases exponentially. Rolling resistance is the dominant force below 40 mph. Every MPH above this speed costs you. We recommend driving under 65 mph to help conserve. If you can try and use your cruise control to help maintain a constant speed
3. Drive at a Constant Speed – Avoid rapid acceleration and/or breaking, use your cruse control whenever possible. By anticipating traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking you could increase your fuel economy as much as 20%. Avoid unnecessary idling as it wastes fuel. If you are anticipating a wait and it is possible turn off your engine. However
4. Stick to a Regular Service Schedule – This will help keep your engine operating efficiently. By replacing filters, spark plugs, and fluids as recommended by your owner’s manual, you could increase your fuel economy by 4 to 10%. When you do need your oil changed improve the gas consumption of your vehicle by using the grade of motor oil that your owner’s manual recommends. You can also purchase motor oil that contains the phrase “Energy Conserving” on the label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives that are known to improve fuel economy.
5. Check Tire Pressure Regularly – By keeping your tires properly inflated you could increase your gas mileage by up to 3%. You can buy and inexpensive accurate tire gauge to monitor your tires. Under inflated tires or poorly aligned wheels waste fuel by forcing the engine to work harder. Keep your tires inflated to the pressure as recommended by your car. You can usually find this information on a sticker attached to the doorframe or you can find it on your fuel flap. We recommend using this number rather than the number found on the wall of the tire. A single tire that is under inflated by 2 PSI can increase your fuel consumption by 1%.
6. Use your A/C and Windows Sparingly – When your air conditioner is on it puts an extra load on the engine of your car forcing more fuel to be used (about 20% more). However, if you have your windows down and highway speeds the air drag can result in a 10% increase in fuel consumption. So what should you do? If you are driving on the highway or at high speeds you should keep your windows up and use your air conditioner. However in most vehicles the defrost position on your thermostat uses the air conditioner at a much lower rate. You could also use the A/C to cool the car and then change to defrost or the vent. If you are driving in town at low rates of speed it is all right to have your window down. Even though the drag created will be less it will still be there.
7. Buy When the Weather is Cool – If you can buy your gas on cold days and drive on hot days. When you do this you pay for volume. You get more fuel for the same price because the gas is denser when cold. If you don’t have cold weather in your area, fill up in the morning before it gets to warm.
8. Wait Until the Last ¼ Tank to Fill Up – When you do this you are able to extend your gas because as the tank gets lower your car gets lighter. However, in cold weather you may not want to do this because the gas could freeze in the tank.
9. When you Do Fill Up Fill the Tank Full – If you are filling up be sure to fill the tank all the way up. You will just waste your money if you try and add $15 today and then $20 tomorrow since each time you will have to travel to the gas station and wait for a pump. Instead, fill the tank to the top and save time and money.
10. Park in the Shade – It is a known fact that gasoline actually evaporates right out of your tank, and it evaporates even faster when you park directly in the sun. If you park in the shade you will help to reduce some of the evaporation and you will keep the car cooler inside, and you will not have to use the A/C to cool the car when you get back in. If you are unable to park in the shade park so the actual tank of your car not the valve to fill it is out of the direct sun.
11. Down Shift Instead of Breaking/Shift into Neutral – Do this to slow down when possible. Not only will it help reduce wear and tear on your breaks it will also save you gas if you have a fuel-injected car. Fuel will not be shut off to the injectors while coasting, instead of keeping the engine at idle in neutral. However, you want to be sure that you are not over-revving your engine. You can also downshift while breaking to further enhance your breaking ability. If you have a standard transmission vehicle you can try shifting into neutral when going down hills or breaking to help save gas.
12. Clean out Unnecessary Items from Your Car – Remove Unneeded Racks – By removing unnecessary items from you car you will cut down on weight and less weight means better mileage. If you have a bicycle or ski rack you should remove it when you are not using it. Keeping them on your car when they are not being used just causes drag and lowers your mileage. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce fuel economy by up to 2%.
13. Use Acetone as an Additive – If you add 100ml of acetone per 40 liters of fuel to your gasoline or diesel you will increase the evaporative effect when it is in the firing chamber. This will increase the distance you get per tank by 25-35%. Most oil companies and governments will not give you this information so you will have to do the research on your own. Here is a good place to start http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Acetone_as_a_Fuel_Additive.
14. Learn Where to find the Cheapest Gas - In most regions, you will find the cheapest gas prices in the same areas. In major metro areas, this seems to be outlying suburbs. It is best to avoid affluent areas when looking for a cheap fill. People in these areas are less price sensitive, and the gas stations realize this fact. Not only that, the gas stations are located on more valuable land, and land taxes will be higher. They pass on these higher costs to customers. Gas stations near major freeway exists can be more expensive that stations further away. It can pay to drive a few blocks from the freeway to find a deal. You can also check the web for the best deals in your area. Here are a couple of links to get you started.
www.PumpAndSave.com
www.FuelEconomyTips.com
www.MPGReasearch.com
www.Gasbuddy.com
www.AAA.com
www.getcheapgasnow.com
15. Find Other Ways to get to Work/Carpool – One of the quickest and best ways to lower your fuel expenses is to carpool to work or school. You can reduce the inconvenience by sharing a ride with someone that works at the same company, and lives near your home. Many companies have a bulletin board, or Intranet web site where you may be able to find someone to carpool with. Ride-share programs might also enable you to shorten the time of your commute by using the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. Another great option is public transportation. Passes are usually available at discounted rates. Although you have to pay to use public transportation, it is usually much less expensive than driving to work, and paying for parking. Some other options are walking, or riding bike to work. Both of these options have the added benefit of giving you exercise; however, you must live relatively close to work to be able to do this. Another amazing option is the “Sharing” program. Rather than buy a new car, sign up for membership with a car-sharing program such as Zipcar or Flexcar. These types of programs allow you to reserve and drive a vehicle by the hour. The beautiful part is they pay for the cost of the vehicle, insurance, gas, parking, and maintenance.
16. Combine Errands – Combine your daily trips and errands and try and travel during off-peak hours to avoid sitting in traffic. 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.
17. Buy Hybrid/More Fuel Efficient Vehicles – The most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today are hybrid-electric cars. Hybrid cars combine an electric motor with a conventional, yet cleaner, gasoline-powered engine. Over its lifetime, a 50-mile per gallon Toyota Prius hybrid will use half as much gas and release half as much pollution as a 23-mile per gallon Pontiac Grand Prix. You also need to be aware that if you are driving an SUB you probably will only get 15-20 miles per gallon. There are a number of other non-hybrid vehicles available that will also help you to save money at the pump.