How do we increase fuel efficiency? Everybody wants to save on gas. As gas prices continue to climb, we should be more conscious of how we’re using our fuel, because we all dread that moment when we begrudgingly pull up to the gas station, shell out our money, and wonder to ourselves, “Didn’t we just fill up?”
The answer to that question is, yes, you did just fill up your car. What you might not know is that although you did spend a lot of money for your gas recently, you might not be using your fuel efficiently: especially during the long winter months when – according to a study done by the U.S. Department of Energy – gas mileage in a conventional car has been shown to be about “12% lower at 20 [degrees Fahrenheit] than it would be at 77 [degrees Fahrenheit].”
Stretch your hard-earned money by using these five basic car care tips to increase fuel efficiency.
Increase Fuel Efficiency with these Five Tips
- Use cruise control on the freeway.
By maintaining a constant speed, you can save yourself a lot of money simply by avoiding accelerating and braking. Braking and then speeding up again uses more gas because of the acceleration.
- Avoid excessive idling.
Sometimes, idling cannot be avoided, like when you’re waiting for the stoplight to turn green or waiting to pick up a child from school. At times like these, turning your car off will help save your gas and the environment. Emit less auto fumes and you — as well as the earth — will be thankful.
- Stop trying to get the closest parking spot at the store.
Circling the parking lot multiple times in search of that perfect spot up front wastes a lot of your gas. Keep your coins safe by opting to park in the less-populated area of the parking lot.
- Don’t tailgate on the freeway.
Top 5 Tips to Increase Fuel Efficiency Img src: freedigitalphotos.net
This is challenging for a lot of drivers, especially when there’s always that one driver who wants to go slow in the fast lane. Not only does tailgating put you at risk for bending up your car in the event of a collision, but the excessive braking after getting too close to another car eats up your gas. Stay a further distance away from other automobiles to avoid stepping on the brakes.
- Take the shortest route.
Planning out the shortest course to take will cut down on your visits to the gas station. Mapping out your route also lets you know which city streets have the most stoplights so you can avoid excessive idling.
These are just some tips that will help increase fuel efficiency and save you a lot of money.
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If you have questions or comments to offer, let us know! We’d love to hear your tips on how you use fuel efficiently in your own life. Post below in the comments section to share your tricks of the trade so that we can learn from you.
