Everyone dreads paying the increased gas prices that come over the summer but unfortunately, there isn’t much that you can do to avoid them. Coupled with more mileage due to vacations, holidays and other summer activities, most people’s fuel expenses shoot up during the warmer months. To help you manage these higher costs, we have some tips on how to increase your fuel efficiency so you can save gas in the summer. Here are 8 ways that you can save on gas this summer.
- Coast to a stop – On top of being bad for your brakes, braking sharply is very inefficient. Braking gently allows you to use the most out of your car’s kinetic energy so it increases your gas mileage.
- Don’t crawl up to speed – Most people know that accelerating sharply decreases your fuel efficiency, but did you know that crawling up to speed has the same effect? Use a smooth, medium speed acceleration to get the most out of your gas.
- Use your air conditioner carefully – During the hot months, staying cool in the car can be difficult. Using your air conditioner uses fuel so it is best to just open your windows if you are driving around town. Once you get on the highway through, open windows are less fuel efficient because they compromise the aerodynamics of your car. If you are driving at 60 mph or higher, use the air conditioner.
- Check tire pressure – Having tires at the incorrect pressure means your car to have to work harder to drive. Checking your tire pressure once a week fis an easy way to save gas.
- Plan errands – A little planning can enable you to save a lot of gas when you are running errands. Make a list of what you need and where you are going beforehand so that you only need to make one trip. Drive to the farthest destination first to warm up engine and make it more efficient. If possible use right turns only, especially in cities where left turns can cause a lot of idle time.
- Make a “less than a mile” rule – If your destination is less than a mile away, walk or bike instead. Cutting out short trips can save a lot of gas and it will let you get out in the beautiful summer weather as well!
- Park in the shade – Parking in the shade will keep your car cooler while you are away. This both makes it more comfortable when you get back in and decreases the amount of gasoline that will evaporate out of your tank in extreme heat.
- Plan your fill ups – Filling your gas tank at the right time can get you much better gas prices. To save on gas prices, avoid filling up on the weekends as many gas station owners increase their prices on Thursdays around 10am and keep them high over the weekend. The best time to fill up for the weekend is early Thursday morning.
Use these eight tips to enjoy your summer a little more without worrying about your fuel costs!