With the price of gasoline going up on a daily basis (almost), I thought it would be good to send out a few reminders on how you can save some fuel!
Ten Easy Ways to Conserve Energy
Conserving energy not only saves you money, it saves
valuable resources and protects the environment by reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. There are many things you can do conserve energy everyday.
What You Can Do
In the Car
- Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve car fuel economy by an average of one mile per gallon.
- Keep tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires can decrease fuel economy by up to one mile per gallon.
- Slow down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about two miles per gallon.
- Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts.
- Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to two miles per gallon. Stay alert and drive steadily, not erratically. Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the car ahead of you and anticipate traffic conditions.
- Use your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by as much as two miles per gallon under certain speeds and operating conditions.
- Avoid lengthy engine idling. Turn your engine off when you are delayed for more than a couple of minutes.
- Plan your trips carefully. Combine short trips into one to do all your errands. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to reduce fuel-consumption patterns such as starting and stopping and numerous idling periods. Consider joining a car pool.
