by Rebecca Livermore

Created on: February 05, 2008

We all complain about the current price of gas, for good reason; it's expensive! As individuals we have very little control over the price of gas, but we have an excellent amount of control over how much gas we waste.

Consider the following ways to use gas more efficiently:

1. Be a calm driver. Rapid acceleration, frequent braking, and speeding all waste gas. Aggressive driving can reduce your mileage by 33% on highways and 5% in the city.

2. Remove excessive weight from your vehicle. Having a trunk full of junk is not only an inefficient way to live, it also causes a reduction in gas mileage.

3. Obey the posted speed limit. Not only is it dangerous to drive faster than the speed limit, it's also expensive!

4. Don't idle away your gas. It's okay to let your car idle for a short period of time such as when you're at a red light, in a short drive through line, or dropping someone off, but if you're going to be sitting somewhere for more than a minute, turn your car off rather than letting it idle.

5. Keep your tires properly inflated. Properly inflated tires not only increase gas mileage, they are safer, and last longer as well.

6. Replace air filters as needed. Clogged air filters reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%.

7. Have regular tune-ups. Keeping your car well-maintained and running smoothly will increase your fuel efficiency by around 4%.

8. Use the proper grade of motor oil. The manual that came with your car recommends a particular grade of oil, such as 5W-30. Using a different grade of oil than the car manufacturer recommends, even if cheaper, will not save you money in the long run. For additional fuel efficiency, you can also purchase oil that is marked as "energy conserving."

9. Combine trips as much as possible. For instance, drop off your dry cleaning when you're already in the area of the cleaners rather than making a special trip. Every time you get ready to go somewhere, consider all the places you'll drive by and if possible, take care of necessary errands in those locations even if you didn't originally plan to. For instance, my library is right up the street from my grocery store, so I often go to the library just prior to grocery shopping.

10. Ditch the luggage carrier. Luggage carriers are a great way to haul around extra gear when going on vacation, but due to aerodynamic drag, they reduce gas mileage by five percent. Pack as lightly as possible and do your best to cram everything into the trunk or interior of the car.

11. Telecommute.

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