Using Less Gasoline
With gas prices hitting new record highs well ahead of the summer driving season, the Alliance to Save Energy recently announced that drivers could keep their own fuel costs from reaching record levels with good vehicle maintenance and sensible driving habits.
Makes sense, and, as I was reading this, Adam McInnis happened to stop by our shop. He was shaking his head as he had just come from the Hess station on Route 35 in Ocean township. He filled his van's fuel tank in preparation for a drive to Florida. He topped off his tank before departing on his journey with diesel fuel at the least expensive cost he could find, and that was a staggering $3.99 per gallon! This time of year, especially after a warm winter, it usually means a glut of home heating oil (diesel) and the prices go down a little before the summer drive season. With this high a price, this early, I am afraid to think of what we are in for. The other thing that bothers me is that traditionally diesel fuel was less expensive to refine, and therefore, was less cost per gallon at the pump than regular gasoline. Now it seems it is as expensive,or more, than premium gasoline! Seems to me that some are getting the shaft and some are getting wealthier. And now as, our nations economy is tanking, we are getting the knife twisted in deeper. So we have to take care of ourselves, here are a few ideas:
Keeping all your tires properly inflated, not really new news, but we find that 90% of cars and trucks coming in for service are under inflated, and 50% of those have one or more seriously under inflated. Remember ambient air temperature effects tire pressure. Check your pressures once a month. It is an important habit to get into and teach your young drivers. This will not only save fuel, by increasing mileage, it will help your tires last longer, your handling will be better, and it is far safer.
Other simple maintenance measures like changing oil and air filters regularly and using the proper grade of motor oil will pay dividends in the long run. Regular maintenance combined with good driving habits such as sticking to the speed limit (around town), staying out of cruise control, using overdrive, and backing out of the gas pedal a tad earlier vs. jamming on the brakes can prolong your next visit to the pumps.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its latest Short Term Energy Outlook, which raised the possibility that gas prices this spring could reach a monthly average of $3.50 a gallon and even “cross the $4 per gallon threshold” at some point this year. EIA said that for 2008 as a whole, the average gas price would be $3.21 a gallon, 40 cents above the 2007 peak.
So we must all adjust our driving habits, some a little, some a whole lot. Most ideas are simple and easy. Avoid idling by the side of the road, combine errands to drive the shortest distance, and avoid excess weight in the trunk. You would not believe the excess weight some folks carry around in their cars (in the trunk or pick up bed I mean). Other alternatives are to carpool, bike, walk, or use public transportation whenever possible.
Reducing gasoline use is a good way not only to take control of our own gasoline costs but also to have an eventual effect on prices, the other half of the supply and demand rules. By using less, we also will benefit our nation’s economy, environment, and energy security.