You Can Save 10% on Gas - 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 10, 2005 -- ...

Remove excess weight from the car. Your trunk or van is not a storage area on wheels. Unless you plan on needing it this trip take it out of your trunk. Naturally emergency equipment is the exception. An extra 200 pounds will cost you one mile per gallon. That's about a 4% reduction in mileage.

Most of the other gas-saving ideas are pretty widely known so we'll just mention them as a reminder.

Your auto air conditioner reduces mileage by 10 to 20%. In winter we think of the 'wind chill'. Open vents in a moving car create the exact same effect.

Increasing your highway speed also increases your gas consumption. So does fast getaways from traffic lights.

Sitting in traffic wastes gas. You may find that leaving for work earlier helps you avoid jams. So instead of reading the paper at home before leaving for work, take it with you and look at it after you've arrived.

A word about some of those devices that claim to double your gas mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency has tested over 100 gas saving devices and found that, at best, they don't help any more than good maintenance does. And, the EPA says that they have not endorsed any product.

Finally a couple of thoughts about the 'gas crisis'. Yes, it's frustrating. But let's keep it in perspective. If you take inflation into account, today's gas prices are about the same as they were in 1986. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy 'real' gas prices are much lower than they were at their peak in 1981. The $1.40 that we paid in 1980 would be $3.18 today if adjusted for inflation.

And, we're not without options. We've just shown that even individuals can take steps to control what they spend on gas.