On the Road
– Look for more fuel-efficient, less polluting cars. Driving a hybrid vehicle is not only environmentally friendly, but it can save you a lot of money at the gas pump as well.
– Keep your car in good condition and keep tires inflated to the maximum recommended pressure. A well-tuned car improves gas mileage and saves you money.
– Cut driving miles and carpool more. Carpooling can cut your weekly fuel costs in half and save wear on your car.
– Don’t drive aggressively. Rapid acceleration and braking can lower gas mileage by as much as 33 percent on a highway. Aggressive drivers are using an extra 125 gallons of gas and spending over $250 more than average drivers each year.
– Slow down. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. 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.
– Remove excess weight from your car. Extra weight decreases fuel economy. Hauling an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces fuel economy by up to two percent. Place luggage inside rather than on the roof or trunk to minimize drag and increase mileage.
– Don’t idle. If you are stopping for more than ten seconds — except in traffic — turn off your engine. Idling for more than ten seconds uses more gas and creates more global warming pollution than simply restarting your engine.
These and other recommendations can be found at:
http://energy.gov/eere/efficiency/homes
