TOP SECRET! Cutting out idling leads to mileage improvements of up to 19 percent. If you’re going to be at a standstill for 10 or more seconds, it’s better to cut the engine.
1. Gas price increases usually take effect in late morning. Retailers also tend to raise prices on weekends, especially holiday weekends, so midweek is better.
2. Always park so that you can pull forward rather than waste gas backing up. This can improve your mileage by 25 percent (some experts say this number might even be underestimated)!
3. The speed limit also limits pump visits. The U.S. Department of Energy says that by following the speed limit and swearing off aggressive driving, drivers can improve mileage by anywhere from 12 to 55 percent. Edmunds.com found that using cruise control improved mileage by an additional 7 percent.
4. Modern cars don’t become fully efficient until the engine is warmed up, so if you plan on running a series of errands, drive to the farthest location first and then work your way back—a series of short stop-and-start trips will never allow your car to reach maximum efficiency.
5. Rapid acceleration and hard braking, completely avoidable actions, just throw gas away. Instead of braking hard at a red light, coast from a distance. Come to stops slowly and gradually (if there is no one behind you, coast to the red light if you can).
6. Lace up your sneakers and get some exercise doing errands while you save gas. A bicycle can help you rack up car-free miles even faster. Or nix trips to the store altogether and do your errands online, including banking, buying stamps, and paying bills.
7. Banking your trips means fewer gas station stops. Need to pick up a prescription, mail a package, and go to the bank? Instead of spreading these tasks out over a few trips, do them all at once. Park in a central spot and walk from place to place.
8. Extra driving time means wasted gas, so figure out where you’re going before you leave. Use the GPS feature on your phone or a website like MapQuest.com to get exact directions. Try to avoid making left-hand turns where you will spend more time idling your car.
TOP SECRET! Cutting out idling leads to mileage improvements of up to 19 percent. If you’re going to be at a standstill for 10 or more seconds, it’s better to cut the engine.
9. Check the air in your tires. The less air, the more difficult to drive.
10. A clean engine means fuel will be more efficient, so change your oil every 3,000 miles.
11. Car pools are a great way to save on time and gas. Instead of picking up your kids from school every day, ask a neighbor with kids in the same school to help. You can each take turns picking up the tykes.
12. Drive the small car. Do you own an SUV and a fuel-efficient sedan? Take the smaller car on any long trips you can.
13. For every 30 pounds of extra weight your car carries, miles per gallon decreases by anywhere from one-tenth to one-hundredth of a percent. That may not seem like much, but mile after mile it adds up.