The rising price of gas today has caused many drivers to re-examine just how costly driving can be. While you can’t control the price of gas, you can control how much gas you use as well as the other related costs of driving, too.
Follow these simple energy saving tips to save more gas and money:
Lighten up! Remove that needless weight in your vehicle to save more gas…
Remove Excess Weight From Your Vehicle
When you are carrying around extra cargo in your car, your engine has to work harder to move your vehicle. This extra weight decreases fuel efficiency and causes you to waste gas. Pick-up truck owners are notorious for carrying up to 100s of pounds of “cargo” that can be removed easily. Take time today to clean out your trunk and truck bed, removing extra cargo that you are needlessly hauling around.
Decrease the Time Spent Idling
There are benefits to warming up your car on cold days. Some experts say that it does help your engine perform better, and of course it can help to make the interior climate of your car more comfortable, too. Yet leaving your car idling for too long serves to waste gas unnecessarily. Stop wasting gas by only warming up your engine on days when it is truly necessary and avoid excess idling while waiting to pick-up the kids, family members or friends, too.
Drive Less Aggressively
Many people drive aggressively because they feel stressed or anxious behind the wheel, and others simply are trying to get from point A to point B more quickly. Driving aggressively with rapid speed accelerations, stop-and-go style driving, and frequent lane changes can waste gas needlessly. It also can increase your likelihood of having an accident, which can cause your insurance premiums to soar. Taking a less aggressive approach behind the wheel can save you money and can contribute to a more stress free life.
Drive Less Aggressively! Avoid fast starts to save more gas…
Maintain Your Car as Recommended
Regular maintenance and proper tire inflation can help your car to operate in a more fuel-efficient way, and it can also decrease the likelihood of having to pay for costly repairs on your vehicle. Get regular oil changes and a general inspection of your vehicle to find the small issues, before you require costly repairs.
Use EZ Pass or other electronic toll passes
If you live in an area with toll roads, you may find that you can save money by purchasing and using an EZ Pass or other electronic toll pass. Often, there is a discount for using the pass over paying cash. Further, slowing your vehicle at every toll booth to pay your toll decreases your vehicle’s momentum and reduces your average mile per gallon. Using an electronic toll pass, allows you to pay your toll at highway speeds. You get to your destination faster, while avoiding the stop and go, gas wasting process of paying at the toll booth.
Avoid the Traffic
Drive to vacation destinations outside of peak hours. Avoid wasting gas and the aggravation of sitting in traffic for hours at a time, while driving to your favorite vacation spot. During the vacation months, some people make a weekly trip to their cottage, cabin or beach house. Try to plan your trip a few hours outside of the normal vacation rush times. If you live in a vacation area, try to schedule your normal driving times around the vacation traffic, as well.
It’s easy to stop wasting gas. These simple energy saving tips can help you save gas and money. Get started by putting a few of these ideas to work, today.
If you’re interested to do even more to slash your energy bills, check out Peter Lindemann’s Home Energy Saving site. He’s got a handy guide that can help you cut your energy bills in half. It’s our favorite e-book on the subject and could be worth hundreds to thousands of dollars in energy savings to your home or business. Visit Peter’s Home Energy Saving’s site here.
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