Gas Mileage and Gas Prices » gas http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com How to Increase Gas Mileage and Beat Gas Prices Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:37:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 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 Is This Gas? FlexFuel, E85 Ethanol, and BioFuel Explained http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/is-this-gas-flexfuel-e85-ethanol-and-biofuel-explained/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/is-this-gas-flexfuel-e85-ethanol-and-biofuel-explained/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:18:46 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=137 I recently noticed a 2009 Chevy Impala which had a “FlexFuel” designation on its trunk.  Underneath, in small letters, it said “E85 Ethanol.”  I asked the driver if he knew what that meant, and he said “No.”  I couldn’t believe it - he didn’t know the what the flex fuel designation meant on his own car!?!  It turns out there’s a whole new breed of FFV, or Flex Fuel Vehicles, out there on the market and many consumers don’t even know what they are.

First, let me explain what ethanol is.  Ethanol is known by several other names: ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol.  That’s right – it’s the heavy stuff we drink to get drunk.  But it can be used as a fuel or fuel additive.  The ironic truth is Henry Ford designed his first car, the Model T, to run completely on 100% ethyl alcohol way back in the early 1900s.  But today the U.S. gov’t doesn’t allow 100% pure ethanol as a fuel.

E85 Ethanol is a type of biofuel. In the U.S. it is mainly produced by distilling corn.  Not surprisingly, it’s more popular in the midwest where we have a lot of corn being grown.  According to Wiki, E85 is an “alcohol fuel mixture that typically contains a mixture of up to 85% denatured fuel ethanol and gasoline or other hydrocarbon (HC) by volume.”  There’s a lot of controversy around using E85 as a biofuel, since it may have an even bigger carbon footprint than traditional fuel.

E85 is a bit cheaper than gas; currently it’s about .20 to .30 cents less per gallon; of course, you’ve got to find a station which is selling it.  But there are plenty of cars on the market which will run on E85, and according to Chevy, they’ve been making FlexFuel cars which will run on biofuel for the past 8 years.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/is-this-gas-flexfuel-e85-ethanol-and-biofuel-explained/feed/ 15 Cars with the Best Gas Mileage Tested http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/cars-with-the-best-gas-mileage-tested/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/cars-with-the-best-gas-mileage-tested/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:56:55 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=132 Cars.com announced yesterday the results of it’s gas mileage car tests, and the results are interesting.  The cars tested were:

  • 2008 Ford Focus SES sedan: 2.0-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual; 24/35 mpg city/highway (28 mpg combined)
  • 2009 Honda Civic EX-L sedan: 1.8-liter four-cylinder, five-speed auto; 25/36 mpg city/highway (29 mpg combined)
  • 2009 Pontiac G5 XFE coupe: 2.2-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual; 25/37 mpg city/highway (30 mpg combined)
  • 2009 Toyota Corolla XLE sedan: 1.8-liter four-cylinder, four-speed auto; 27/35 mpg city/highway (30 mpg combined)

They fueled all 4 cars up at the same pump, then took them on a 300 mile test drive.  Here’s the gas mileage results:

  • 2009 Toyota Corolla XLE sedan: 36.4 mpg
  • 2009 Honda Civic EX-L sedan: 34.6 mpg
  • 2009 Pontiac G5 XFE coupe: 33.1 mpg
  • 2008 Ford Focus SES sedan: 31.0 mpg

I’m not too surprised that the Corolla performed well, as Toyotas are known for their gas mileage.  In fact I’m not surprised that the Japanese cars ranked better overall.  But I am surprised that the Ford Focus did so poorly, not even reaching its advertised highway MPG.  31 mpg is nothing to sneeze at, but considering the compromises Ford made to make the Focus (small, smaller engine, less features) it makes it a much less attractive car purchase.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/11/cars-with-the-best-gas-mileage-tested/feed/ 19 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/ 1 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/ 1 Bad Mileage Mistakes: Are You Making Them? http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/bad-mileage-mistakes-are-you-making-them/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/bad-mileage-mistakes-are-you-making-them/#comments Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:02:51 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=76 We all know about the common mileage mistakes that are hard on your wallet, while they waste gas in and out of the city, but are you at risk of making these mistakes? Are you one of the thousands of consumers that don’t get the most out of your gas mileage? Here are a couple common mistakes, and what you can do to fix them, while saving money on gas and increasing mileage before the next time you fill up your tank.

With the rising costs of fuel and the uncertainty within the economy we as consumers need to be prudent throughout our expenditures, and fuel is not immune to these personal budget cuts.

One of the most common mistakes that people make that wastes fuel is driving with the windows open during the summer on highways or roads in which the driver is able to travel at high speeds. This increases the pull of the vehicle, causing more gas to be exuded through the process of trying to pull the vehicle forward, against the wind.  This can be avoided easily enough by using low levels of air conditioning or opening the sun-roof while traveling at high speeds throughout the summer season.

Did you know that where you park has a lot to do with what it is going to cost to fill up at the pump? Parking in the sun causes the gas to become hot, and what happens to hot gas? It begins to evaporate. Parking in the shade can stop this process while cutting costs at the pump. Consider parking in the shade or in an indoor parking garage to save gas.

These two mistakes are some of the most common, especially for drivers of gas guzzling SUVs. Taking the time to avoid these two bad habits could save those valuable dollars when it comes time to fill up your vehicle.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/bad-mileage-mistakes-are-you-making-them/feed/ 1 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/ 16 The Cheapest Gas Prices in Your Area http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/the-cheapest-gas-prices-in-your-area/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/the-cheapest-gas-prices-in-your-area/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:03:33 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=8 This is a pretty handy map I found while browsing around the web.   Just enter your city and state or zip code and the map will zoom in on your location and show gas prices at various gas stations in your area.  The map tool is hosted by GasBuddy and relies on various local “spotters” in your area to spot and record gas prices.  While it may not help you get better gas mileage, it could help you save a few miles per gallon by not driving around looking for the lowest priced gas station.

Provided by GasBuddy.com
Click here to add this map to your website.

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]]> http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/10/the-cheapest-gas-prices-in-your-area/feed/ 1 Top 25 Fuel Economy Tips http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/07/top-25-fuel-economy-tips/ http://www.fueleconomyhelp.com/2008/07/top-25-fuel-economy-tips/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:27:23 +0000 Fuel Economy Advisor http://fueleconomyhelp.com/?p=3 Has the recent spike in gas prices had a big financial impact on you? For almost every person driving, gas prices have impacted them in one way or another. We have decided to produce a list to help lessen the impact of rising gas prices. Here are the top 25:

Planning is Essential

Finding the best gas prices:
Use tools on the internet such as GasBuddy to find the cheapest gas prices in your area. Prices can fluctuate greatly in different areas, finding the cheapest stations will save you tremendously.

Research a Wholesale Alternative
Costco, Sam’s Club and Safeway stores sometimes offer their members discounts of up to ten cents per gallon on gasoline if you are a member. Our local Safeway store gives us a ten cent discount on gas after we spend $50 on groceries.

Alter your commute time
If at all possible; schedule your trips and errands for times when there isn’t as much traffic on the roads. In an incredibly comprehensive research paper, Omninerd found that commute times varied greatly depending on the time he left his house. If your schedule allows it, try traveling to your destination earlier or later in order to avoid rush hour.

Organize Trips
Combine your trips: Instead of impulsively driving, schedule a list of errands and complete them in one drive. If you need groceries, a hair cut and have to pick the kids up from school, do them all in one trip.

Lose the extra weight
Don’t pack your car with unneeded weight as it can greatly affect your fuel economy (Subwoofers, golf clubs, etc). Bankrate has stated that “For every 250 pounds your engine hauls, the car loses about one mile per gallon in fuel economy.”

Eliminate Drag
Air resistance plays a big role in preventing your vehicle from moving. You car uses about half of the energy produced simply to disperse the air. (The other half is used in acceleration). Help your car reduce drag  and remove anything that may adversely affect its drag: bicycle racks, cargo units (like a Thule), etc.

Fuel Efficiency with your Car

Purchase a fuel-efficient car
If you are in the market for a new car, fuel economy should absolutely be considered.

Maintenance is Key
A car in poor running condition will use additional gas than one that has been maintained properly. According to this checklist at AAP, an unclean air filter can reduce your gas mileage up to 20 percent. Spark plugs can have a similar effect, reducing mileage up to 12 percent.

Consider Synthetic Oil
There have been numerous studies on the fuel efficiency of synthetic oil. While it does cost more for an oil change, the savings can recouped with better MPG.

Be cautious of worthless fuel efficiency products
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has commented on these products saying most gas-saving products are worthless: “Be wary of any gas-saving claims for automotive devices or oil and gas additives. Even for the few gas-saving products that have been found to work, the savings have been small.” Consumer Reports also noted “Don’t waste your money.”

Tire Pressure is important!
Under inflated tires are not just dangerous — they significantly reduce your fuel economy (By up to 25%). Over inflated tires are also inefficient in achieving optimal fuel economy. Balancing tires and keeping them aligned is also very important.

Driving Habits

Drive at a constant moderate speed
Edmunds.com found that the best way to improve fuel efficiency was to accelerate slowly and to brake over a longer distance. Aside from purchasing a new vehicle, this is the single most effective step you can take to reduce your costs. According to fueleconomy.gov: “As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.”

Cruise Control
Acceleration and deceleration will reduce your gas mileage. By eliminating the human interaction with the gas pedal, you will be able to improve fuel effificiency.

Excessive Idling
As a general rule if you are idling more than 30 seconds shut your vehicle off. Starting your vehicle does use a surge of gas but not enough to justify not shutting your vehicle off.

Anticipate upcoming stops
Stopping greatly affects fuel economy. Rather than race to each stop light, go at a slower pace so you are constantly moving instead.

Air-conditioning Myth
You always hear that Air Conditioning significantly reduces your gas mileage. While this is true, driving with your windows rolled down has an impact on the drag of your car. Either way results in about a 10% reduction of fuel efficiency. According to research results show there isn’t a noticable difference between driving with the windows down or using the A/C. Consumer Reports preformed similar tests with similar results:

“A/C uses about 1 mpg, but safety (and comfort) increase with use. Opening windows made no significant difference in our gas mileage.”

Drafting
When on the freeway try to find a large truck or car that will enable you to ‘draft’ behind the vehicle. This significantly helps reduce the drag produced by your vehicle and will save you a few cents at the pump!

Reduce your Driving all together!
The best way to save gas altogether is to stop driving. Use alternative modes of transportation such as bicycling, carpools, public transportation, etc.

When Buying Gasoline

Wednesdays are cheapest
“Gas prices are statistically the cheapest on Wednesdays, but this is only true over a large number of days. Obviously it won’t always be cheaper. Quoted from WikiHow, ”Gas prices often jump before holidays, too”.

A few cents are not worth the longer travel
Certainly buying gas at a cheaper location saves you money, but if it requires you to go a few miles out of your way sometimes it isn’t worth it. If you calculate the cost t

Purchase gas during the coolest times of the day
HowToAdvice.com states: “During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind – gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel”. When you fill your tank up, you don’t pay according to density so make the best and get the most out of your fill up.

Use the correct gasoline octane level required for your vehicle
A common misconception about gasoline octane is that the higher the octane, the better the mileage you get. This isn’t necessarily true. High performance cars or vehicles requiring high octane levels will benefit from the higher octane, but if you vehicle isn’t designed for premium fuel, don’t buy it.

Topping off your tank isn’t worthwhile
Overfilling often leads to wasted gas. Allow the pump to stop the gas flow.

Tighten your Gas Cap
AAP: “Improperly seated gas caps allow 147,000,000 gallons of fuel to vaporize every year in the U.S.”

Gas Credit-cards
Gas credit cards often have incentives to save a few cents on gasoline.

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