Gas Mileage and Gas Prices » gas prices http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com How to Increase Gas Mileage and Beat Gas Prices Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:18:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Nationwide Gas Prices Fall; Drivers Still Drive Less http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/12/nationwide-gas-prices-fall-drivers-still-drive-less/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/12/nationwide-gas-prices-fall-drivers-still-drive-less/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:42:37 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=192 I don’t think it’s news to anyone that gas prices are continuing to fall.  Even though we thought the end of the gas price decline was near, it appears prices won’t be going back up anytime soon.

What is news, however, is that Americans are driving less than they were when gas prices were high.  The Business Courier reported today that the U.S. Department of Transportation found Americans drove 100 billion fewer miles between November 2007 and October 2008, even after gas prices began to fall.

100 billion fewer miles.  That’s a lot of not driving, although it may shed even more light on the declining gas prices.  As oil prices by the barrel continue to drop, we have to consider the fact that less people driving means less demand, which always leads to lower prices.

Some of this has to do with a change in behavior for American drivers.  Perhaps they’re going Green and just don’t want to burn more fuel, maybe they’re unemployed, maybe they’re exercising more, or perhaps it simply is a fact that Americans don’t drive as much as they used to.

Whatever the reason, the result is clear: fuel prices dropping to below $1.50 in many parts of the country.  Which also means less fuel tax income for state highway departments, which means less money to fix roads and infrastructure.  So you may be paying for that cheap tank of gas next year when your state has to raise taxes to fix all the potholes.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/12/nationwide-gas-prices-fall-drivers-still-drive-less/feed/ 6 Driving to Thanksgiving Dinner is Different This Year http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/driving-to-thanksgiving-dinner-is-different-this-year/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/driving-to-thanksgiving-dinner-is-different-this-year/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:21:50 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=184 The good news this Thanksgiving for commuters is gas prices are down.  But even though gas prices are down, cut in half since the summer, fewer Americans will be on the roads driving to Thanksgiving Dinner this year.

CBS News reports: Nationally, the AAA says 41 million Americans were expected to travel more than 50 miles for the holiday, down about 1.5 percent, or 600,000 people, from Thanksgiving last year. Of those, about 4.5 million are expected to fly, down about 7 percent from last year, while around 33.2 million will drive, a decrease of about 1 percent.

It is the first decrease in holiday travel nationally since 2002, and the largest since the Thanksgiving that followed the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The real bad news is a 7% drop isn’t really enough to notice when you’re actually on the road, especially if you’re stuck in traffic this year.  That’s about a half a car every 5 not on the road from last year; and if you’re stuck in between 5 cars going 10 mph are you going to notice that half a car missing?  I guess it will be worth it, since you’ll know you’re spending about $1 less per gallon on gas than you were last year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/driving-to-thanksgiving-dinner-is-different-this-year/feed/ 4 Gas Prices below $2; The End is Near http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-below-2-the-end-is-near/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-below-2-the-end-is-near/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:46:13 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=178 CNN reported yesterday that the end of the gas price drop is probably near, citing the Lundberg Survey as the source.  The average price of gas dropped over 30 cents in the past 2 weeks, dropping below $2 for the first time in almost 3 years.

“The average price of self-serve, unleaded gasoline on Friday in the United States was $1.97,” said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey. “The last time the price was below $2 was on March 4, 2005,” she said.

This is attributed mostly to the drop in crude oil prices.  Last summer, when gas prices were over $4 for most areas of the country, crude oil had risen to over $100 per barrel.  Friday oil futures dropped to just under $50, marking the lowest point in the dramatic drop in the past 4 months.  Of course, the decreased demand for gas, in part due to joblessness and the poor economy, also contribute to the falling prices.

This is all good news, except for the fact that the price drop is probably coming to an end, as the oil market is settling down.  Don’t get too excited about seeing gas drop below $1 gallon next month, it probably won’t happen.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-below-2-the-end-is-near/feed/ 6 Gas Prices Tumble Again; Gas is Cheap again! http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-tumble-again-gas-is-cheap-again/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-tumble-again-gas-is-cheap-again/#comments Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:55:51 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=126 Gas prices are falling all over the country.  Here is just a sample of some of today’s headlines from different states:

Gas prices are dropping everywhere across the country, and it’s all due to the dropping price on oil due to recession fears.  The AP reports oil is down to $60/barrel, and they are attributing this to the decrease in demand for energy.  This seems to be a predictable side effect of a slowing economy.

Unemployment is up and retail sales are down, and these factors definitely impact the price of oil.  As oil prices come down, expect gas prices to continue to drop - some expect them under $2/gallon by the end of 2008.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/gas-prices-tumble-again-gas-is-cheap-again/feed/ 0 Oil Changes, Gas Prices, AC: Better Gas Mileage Answers http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/oil-changes-gas-prices-ac-better-gas-mileage-answers/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/oil-changes-gas-prices-ac-better-gas-mileage-answers/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:52:27 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=121 Today I decided to run a question and answer type of blog post, since I read this one over on Mercury News which answered some great questions as to why gas stations of the same brand sell gas at different prices. 

By the way, it’s because every gas station gets their gas from different suppliers or zones. Those and other factors can mean a gas station of the same brand a few miles apart can still have different gas prices.

Q. Does an Oil Change Help Fuel Economy?

A. Yes, it definitely can.  You will certainly get better gas mileage with clean oil than with dirty oil.  As with just about any other type of maintenance you can perform on your car, the less you service it the more work your car’s engine has to do.  Running oil clean is not only healthy for your engine, it also makes it run better and more smooth, which translates to better gas mileage for you.

Also consider using synthetic oil, rather than petroleum oil.  I’ve seen lab tests state that you can gain as much as a 5% to 7% increase in gas mileage with synthetic oil.  It can be a bit more expensive, but may be worth it in the long run. 

Now this doesn’t mean go changing your oil every thousand miles just to get better gas mileage; it’s not worth it if you spend a fortune in oil.  I would suggest an oil change every 5,000 miles for petroleum oil and every 10,000 for synthetic.  Modern autos can probably run fine for more miles than that without an oil change, but those are good guidelines to follow for better gas mileage.

Q.  Does Removing the AC in a Vehicle Help Gas Mileage?

A.  Technically, yes, but for the same reason not turning your AC on will help gas mileage.  Running your car’s AC puts an increased load on your car’s engine, which in turn uses more gas.  You will usually get less power and poor gas mileage out of a car with the AC running.  But that doesn’t mean you have to remove the entire AC system from the car.  Just don’t turn it on!

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/oil-changes-gas-prices-ac-better-gas-mileage-answers/feed/ 2 Russia And Iran Form Gas Cartel; Evil Axis Controls US Fuel http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/russia-and-iran-form-gas-cartel-evil-axis-controls-us-fuel/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/russia-and-iran-form-gas-cartel-evil-axis-controls-us-fuel/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:55:49 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=115 OK, first the really good news.  CNN reported yesterday that gas prices dropped so much over the past 2 weeks (.53 cents) that they’ve set another record.  And gas prices will continue to drop, albeit at a slightly slower pace.  That’s good news whether you’re getting 10 miles to the gallon with a v8 SUV or if you’re getting better gas mileage with a zippy new hybrid.

Now the bad news.  Remember the Axis of Evil?  Iran was one of them.  Still are.  Remember the Cold War, when Americans feared Russia and nuclear nightmare more than any terrorist group?  Well India Times reported today that Russia and Iran, along with Qatar, have decided to form an exclusive Gas Cartel, along the same lines as the OPEC group.  Russia, Iran and Qatar currently account for over 60% of global natural gas reserves, so they have a lot of gas.  So why are they doing this?

They want gas prices up.  Period.  The summer months found that many U.S. travellers simply stayed home, and the demand for gas decreased.  As a result, we’re seeing gas prices drop in record declines.  So guess who doesn’t like that?  The new “Big Gas Troika” as they’re being called.  They want prices back up over $3/gallon. Preferably $4.

This impacts Americans in several ways.  First of all, we’ve been on shaky ground lately with Russia anyway.  (Can you say ungrateful?)  Secondly, since President Bush has targetted Iran as one of our biggest enemies in the Axis of Evil, we’re also on extremely wary diplomatic grounds with them.

And what would happen if America felt it needed to invade Iran and Russia was one of it’s biggest commercial allies?  Let’s just say the best thing that could come of that scenario is gas prices at $5+ per gallon.

Currently there a lot of obstacles in their way; even if they form a Gas Cartel they can’t regulate gas prices on their own.  And Moscow is still saying it’s only a “talking club” and its membership is not binding on its members.  We’ll just have to wait and see how this develops.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/russia-and-iran-form-gas-cartel-evil-axis-controls-us-fuel/feed/ 2 Gas Prices Below $3 and Falling http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/gas-prices-below-3-and-falling/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/gas-prices-below-3-and-falling/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:31:03 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=100 CNN reported today that gas prices are dropping below the $3 mark, giving American consumers worried about conserving fuel some much needed relief.  This information is based on the Daily Fuel Gauge Report released today by the American Automobile Association (AAA).

The national gas price average is now 2.781 a gallon, down 4.1 cents from yesterday and down $1.33 from the highest price reported by the AAA in July, which was $4.114.

The cause for these declining gas prices may not be what you think; Hybrid cars, conservational green environmentalists and the war in Iraq have nothing to do with it.  Apparently it’s because Americans have simply decided to drive less, and use less fuel.  What better way to increase gas mileage than to leave your car in the driveway?

Just 2 months ago in August people drove over 5.5% less than July, making it the sharpest decrease in miles traveled since the U.S. gov’t started compiling data omn how people drive.  Gas consumption for the past four weeks averaged 8.8 million barrels a day, or 4.3% lower, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Oil prices dropped $3.96 to $63.88 a barrel, and OPEC has stated it will cut production by 1 and a half million barrels/day starting next month.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/gas-prices-below-3-and-falling/feed/ 2 Simple Maintenance Tips to Increase Fuel Economy http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/simple-maintenance-tips-to-increase-fuel-economy/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/simple-maintenance-tips-to-increase-fuel-economy/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:14:21 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=86 Increasing your gas mileage can be easy when you follow these tips to maintain the optimum performance in your engine, which can reduce fuel consumption and save money on gas. 
 
Make sure the vehicle has properly inflated tires. When the tires are balanced and inflated the vehicle is able to drive efficiently. If even one of the tires is deflated it can decrease the gas mileage of the vehicle by up to five percent! As easy as it is to stop after filling up the vehicle and check the tire pressure of the vehicle most people don’t bother.  This is one of the easiest ways to maintain the vehicle and increase gas mileage. Check the manual that comes with the vehicle to see what pressure the tires should be at for optimal performance.
 
Is your air filter clogged? If it is, than you could be increasing the fuel consumption of your vehicle by up to fifteen percent – the air filter should be checked every twelve thousand miles to ensure proper function. After this amount of time it will more than likely need to be changed, as they become clogged. Many times when you bring the vehicle in for an oil change they will check the air filter as well.
 
Ensuring that all spark plugs within the vehicle are in working order means increased fuel efficiency. If even one component of the vehicle is not working properly it causes the engine to have to work harder. What does it mean when the engine has to work harder? When the engine works harder it uses more fuel, which can increase consumption and decrease gas mileage.
 
Maintaining simple and regular oil changes will reduce friction within the engine, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency within the vehicle. As the oil ages it becomes less slippery and can increase friction within the engine. The reason oil is used within the vehicle is to maintain a smooth ride, decrease the friction and create a well-running engine.
 
Using these tips can increase your gas mileage through the use of simple maintenance techniques created that will extend the life of the vehicle, maintain optimal running performance and save money on gas.  After all – with gas prices at the levels they are at, we can all use a break at the pumps!

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/simple-maintenance-tips-to-increase-fuel-economy/feed/ 10 Top Ten Ways to Save Money, Conserve Fuel and Beat Gas Prices http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/top-ten-ways-to-save-money-conserve-fuel-and-beat-gas-prices/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/top-ten-ways-to-save-money-conserve-fuel-and-beat-gas-prices/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:17:30 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=42 Are you like the thousands of consumers that are trying to increase gas mileage, than this list will help! Here are the top ten ways to cut costs at the pump and save money on gas – all through simple techniques that you can implement today! Are you ready to go easy on your wallet?

1. Stop using air conditioning in the city. Using air conditioning means that more gas will be wasted. Do you really need to use it? Think about your wallet, think about the environment and stop using the air conditioning within the vehicle. To cut fuel costs, try parking in the shade. With gas prices as high as they are, we want to save as much as possible, right? Air conditioning can lower the efficiency of fuel up to twenty percent – is the five minutes of cool air really worth it?

Top Ten Ways to Save Money, Conserve Fuel and Beat Gas Prices2. Stick to the speed limit. Did you know that each ten miles you go over the speed limit that you exude ten percent more gas? Maybe there is something to be said about driving the speed limit. Not only will it save money on gas, it will save money on any speeding tickets that could be accrued through the reckless driving. Driving ten miles less than the speed limit could conserve up to two miles per gallon of gas.

3. Use loyalty cards to obtain rewards for gas and other purchases at the fueling station which can save up to fifty cents per gallon at some filling stations.

4. Ensure that your vehicle is in optimum working order. When hoses have leaks, or the vehicle has minor repairs required, other parts of the vehicle have to work overtime to compensate for these problems. What does this mean for fuel efficiency? It decreases because of the extra output required from the engine.

5. Did you know that something as simple as tightening the gas cap can save valuable money at the pumps while increasing fuel mileage?

6. Removing extra components of the vehicle such as snow tires and roof racks can increase fuel efficiency.

7. Same goes for weight. For each two-hundred fifty pounds of extra weight that the car is forced to carry, the gas mileage decreases at least one mile per gallon. Is this the time to remove extra weight from the vehicle?

8. Are you one of those people that drive with your foot on the brake? Doing this can cause the vehicle to drag, exerting extra gas and taking a toll on your wallet at the pump. Not only will this practice cause valuable gas to be lost but it will also wear out brakes sooner, causing more money in upkeep of the vehicle.

9. Fill up once, and fill up all the way! Filling up the tank means fewer trips to the fueling stations. This means, less gas spent travelling to the pumps, which means saving more gas!

10. Consider running all errands in one day, or in the same area of the city to conserve gas. Using this technique helps to conserve gas and can save hundreds of dollars per year.

Using these tips could save a bundle, and with the high costs of gas – who doesn’t want to save money at the pumps? In this economy informed consumers are transitioning into fuel conserving patrons, and its time that you jumped on the bus!

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/top-ten-ways-to-save-money-conserve-fuel-and-beat-gas-prices/feed/ 15 Gas Prices Dropping; Closer to $3 Per Gallon http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/gas-prices-dropping-closer-to-3-per-gallon/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/gas-prices-dropping-closer-to-3-per-gallon/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:37:41 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=35 Finally – some relief from ridiculously high gas prices.  All summer long I’ve been paying over $50 to fill my tank – on regular unleaded!  Now granted it’s a V8 gas guzzler (not even an SUV!) that only gets 20 miles to the gallon, but still, with gas prices hitting $4 per gallon in some spots it has been expensive.

But the good news today is that the nationwide Lundberg Survey of gas prices has discovered that the average national price for unleaded regular gasoline has dropped .35 cents, from $3.66 to $3.31 per gallon.  Almost at $3!

We’re not out of the woods yet; CNN reported that gas prices are still 19% higher than they were a year ago. Still, we’re within .25 cents of hitting the $3 average.  Their report is more optimistic; according to CNN the average price of regular unleaded dropped to $3.247 a gallon nationwide, down almost 4 and a half cents.

Time to fill ‘er up yet?  Not yet … I bet gas prices are going to keep dropping all week!  Unless, of course, you’re out of fuel, in which case, yes, you’d better go fill the tank :)

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