Ways To Save Money On Gas
Chris Channing
Gas is something that just can't be avoided- anyone with a need to get somewhere across town or in need of travel will likely have to shell out money in the process. With gas prices becoming ever higher, it becomes important to get thrifty in the process, so as to be economical on the matter and save money as a result.
It has long been said that using the air conditioning or heat excessively will drain gas mileage. This is true, but only in certain situations. When cars have their windows down while going high speeds, it has been proven that the drag that the window creates is less fuel efficient than having the air conditioning on at a moderate level. Thus, it's best to use air conditioning when traveling fast, and less so when at "stop and go" locations.
Any kind of extra stress that is exerted on one's motor will always cause more fuel to be burned. This means that fast accelerations and high speeds will waste much more fuel than the contrary. Revving an engine or even stopping too suddenly can degrade gas mileage. In this case, it's best to take the "granny approach" and drive with extra caution.
Even though car manuals sometimes claim that cars should be run on the highest grades of fuel, this is not true. Cars that can accept low grades of fuel should, since this gives cheaper prices for just about the same amount of mileage. Purchasing gas with a higher octane rating may help improve mileage, but not enough to actually justify the price difference.
Two other options help dictate gas mileage: weight and tire inflation. Weight, for instance, might be putting extra drag on one's engine, or even causing a car to be less aerodynamic via a lopsided vehicle. Excess weight can also put more strain on tires, which should always be checked for accurate inflation. A tire that is not properly inflated will always decrease gas mileage considerably.
As a last note, those who live in colder climates or experience cold climates at winter should keep in mind that warming up a car shouldn't be a lengthy process. While it is nice to warm up a car for 10 minutes in order to get in warm for entry, this wastes gas and is inefficient. Cars should be warmed up for about a minute or two, and then it's perfectly fine to start driving in colder weather.
Closing Comments
There aren't too many things that consumers can resort to in getting the high prices of gasoline down, except keep responsible on the subject and follow the aforementioned tips. Many tips may only increase gas mileage by a few miles per gallon, but this can add up each time one needs to refuel up at the pump, and annual savings can be truly astounding.
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