Wednesday, April 27, 2011

10 Tips to Lower Gas Costs


Excerpt from 10 Tips to Lower Gas
By Cameron Huddleston, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com


With gasoline prices at $3.84 per gallon, on average, and likely to hit $4 by summer, you're probably feeling the pain at the pump. However, there are ways to keep gas costs under control. Chris Faulkner, CEO of Texas-based Breitling Oil and Gas Co., offers these ten tips:

1. Download a gas app to find cheaper prices.
You can use your smart phone to comparison shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app such as GasBuddy. You can also check gas prices online at GasBuddy.com or gasprices.mapquest.com before you leave home or the office.

2. Don't buy gas near the highway.
Gas stations near the highway charge 10 cents to 15 cents a gallon more, Faulkner says. Gas up in a rural town rather than a large city because prices will be lower.

3. Use a discount gift card.
Discount gift card sites, such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, sell cards at less than face value for gas stations, such as BP and Shell. Look for discounted gift cards for Walmart or grocery stores that have gas stations.

4. Keep car windows closed on the highway.
Open windows add drag and reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, lower your windows to reduce air-conditioning use, which will drain your gas tank.

5. Develop good driving habits.
You can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 5% by avoiding quick starts and stops. Gas mileage also decreases as you accelerate beyond 55 mph.

6. Don't carry unnecessary items in your car.
Every 200 pounds to 250 pounds lowers your car's fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon.

7. Keep your tires properly inflated.
Faulkner says you can add up to 7% to your gas mileage by keeping your tires properly inflated.

8. Fill 'er up with regular.
Most cars don't need the premium-grade gasoline, which cost 24 cents a gallon more, on average.

9. Combine errands with other driving you're going to do.
This way, you aren't making multiple trips and using more gas.

10. Don't overfill your tank.
If you top off, you're just wasting money on the gas that inevitably sloshes out of the tank.

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