Fuel Economy: Top 10 Tips to Increase Fuel Economy and Reduce Fuel Costs

With the ever increasing fuel costs around the planet and the ever-deteriorating peace situation in the Oil producing countries, the importance of saving on gas or diesel is a major concern for everyone around the globe! See this latest news report, on issues affecting gas prices, from CNN HERE

“Over the past  few years,  fuel prices have sky-rocketed to reach new heights affecting everyone. It’s doubtful that they will ever fall below three dollars a gallon ever again…”   

Here are some helpful tips that you must remember while using your car and planning your daily activities, so that you can save the maximum amount of money and get the absolute best efficiency out of every gallon of gas, giving you more money for other necessities of life:-

1. You may not be aware that tire pressure plays an important part in improving fuel economy of your car. Always maintain a proper tire pressure in your tires. The research has proved that if one of your tires is under inflated by only 5 psi, it will reduce your fuel economy by 10%. Every tire manufacturer marks the proper tire pressure at the side of the tire. Your car tool kit must also include a tire gauge to check the air pressure at anytime.
2. Are you aware of the fact that most of the modern cars are manufactured to run on a particular type Octane fuel only and they give their best performance with that type of gas. Getting your tanks filled with Premium, when your engine only requires regular will only increase your fuel costs. Most of the times, this is clearly mentioned in the product manual of the car, but who has spare time to read a huge document, like a car manual. But in this case it’s worth a quick look so that you know which Octane fuel your vehicle needs. It could save you a lot of money for fun stuff.
3. The best time to buy your fuel whether it is gas or diesel is in the morning, when the temperature is the coldest and the fuel is the densest. Gas and Diesel are always sold by volume and not by density, thus a denser fuel offers more mileage, because it will expand with the rise in temperature. See this .GOV PDF explaining how that works. This is the reason it is recommended that when filling the gas tank you don’t top it off. If you do then there is no room for the fuel to expand as the ambient temperature heats up.
4. Reduce the weight of your car to the minimum. Inspect the trunk of your car and you will find stuff that you do not need any more and is just occupying the space. It may be the old spare parts of your car or some other items. Remember that every 200lbs of extra weight, affects your fuel economy by 1 mpg. You must also keep this point in mind, while loading for a family vacation, or a road trip with friends. Leave all the unnecessary things and keep the car weight to the minimum.
5. Idle running of your vehicle for a long time must be curtailed. The rule of thumb is that, “restarting your car engine is almost equal to idling for 30 seconds”. If you have to sit still for more than 30 seconds, it is better to switch off your engine and relax. Following this rule in long traffic jams can be very beneficial for your wallet. Take for example school pickup lanes, they now have signs asking parents to switch off. It serves two purposes really…cleaner air for all and better fuel economy for you!
6. Driving the car at moderate speeds will cut fuel costs. If you drive at 55 mph, then you will use 15% less fuel than when driving at 65 mph.
7. A car uses maximum fuel while accelerating, so always avoid jackrabbit starts. Enjoy your drive by accelerating slowly and braking gradually.
8. Keep your car maintained 365 days of the year. If you use a dirty air filter, it will reduce the air intake of the engine, thus burning more fuel and emptying your pockets.
9. Using your car’s air conditioner can increase your gas costs by 10 – 20% depending on the speed of the vehicle and the skill of the driver.
10. Always follow an efficient traveling plan. Use the route with least traffic signals, speed bumps etc, on journeys. Whenever possible share the ride with your colleagues. It will not only reduce the fuel cost but will also cut on parking cost.

So you can see by following these Tips and with a little thought and preparation your overall Fuel Economy can be reduced greatly. The amount of money saved from the efficient use of gas can be utilized in improving the quality of your life, enjoying more vacations, or buying a gift for your family and loved ones.

Fuel Economy: Top 10 Tips to Increase Fuel Economy and Reduce Fuel Costs

Author: Jason Campbell