Gas Saving Tips

In an interview by Financially Fit with Chris Faulkner, CEO of Texas-based Breitling Oil and Gas Co., offers these ten tips:

1. Don't buy gas along the major highways.  Gas stations near the highway typically charge 10 cents to 15 cents a gallon more. We know prices vary station to station. Usually stations along the highway have higher overhead because they are open 24 hours. If you're traveling, gas up in a rural town rather than a large city because prices are usually lower. In order to waste extra gas driving around, check out the tip #2.

2. Download a gas app on your phone to find cheaper prices. With your smart phone app you can shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app like GasBuddy. You can categorize by gas grades, and find the cheapest gas prices closest to your location with the GPS feature. If you don't have a smart phone, visit GasBuddy.com or gasprices.mapquest.com to check gas prices online. I love the GasBuddy app on my phone.

3. Keep car windows closed on the highway, and vent in traffic. I know we have been having some unusually cool weather in Houston lately, but with the summer heat coming nobody with AC is willing to drive with their windows down. Open windows add drag and reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, lower your windows to reduce air-conditioning use, which will drain your gas tank if you can stand the Houston heat.

4. Develop good driving habits. You can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 5% by avoiding quick starts and stops Speed Racer. Gas mileage also decreases as you accelerate beyond 55 mph. It's also exponential from there. The faster you drive the more fuel it takes to maintain that speed. I guess that means no more speeding with the windows down for me.  

5. Combine errands with other driving you're going to do. Plan your route and trips. Make sure you aren't making multiple trips and using more gas. By the way, there is an app for that. It's $10 for the iPad. Some GPS systems can automatically route stops and group them together for fuel and time efficiency.

6. Use a discount gift card. Discount gift card sites, such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, sell cards at less than face value for gas stations, such as BP and Shell. They go quickly, though, so sign up for e-mail alerts to be notified when they're in stock. Also look for discounted gift cards for Walmart or grocery stores that have gas stations.

7. Don't carry unnecessary items in your car. Every 200 pounds to 250 pounds lowers your car's fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon. Removing unnecessary items includes buyers who refuse to prequalify with a lender before asking for an appointment, and those buyers wanting to look at properties above their spending level just to look.

8. Keep your tires properly inflated. Faulkner says he tested this with his mother's car. She added 7% to her gas mileage by keeping her tires properly inflated. Not only does this save on gas costs, proper tire maintenance extends tire life and reliability. There are also tires designed for fuel efficiency as well, but make sure your are comfortable with the traction, noise, or comfort difference from your original tires.

9. Fill up with regular if reccomended (check your owner's manual first). Most cars don't need the premium-grade gasoline, which cost 24 cents a gallon more, on average, than regular grade gas according to the Energy Information Administration. If you are using premium gas in a car that does not require it, you might as well be throwing money out of your window at every stop light.

Some cars do require premium gas and can have problems if you use a lower grade. Potential problems of using lower fuel grades than the manufacturer reccomends include o2 sensor failure. Some cars may have 2-3 of these sensors which may cost at least $200 each to replace. Other potential problems can include engine knocking or misfiring leading to internal damage to the motor.

10. Don't overfill your tank. Faulkner says if you top off, you're just wasting money on the gas that inevitably sloshes out of the tank. I believe if your top off your tank it is extra weight. 1 gallon of gas weighs 8.35 lbs.

One expert argues topping off your tank each fill up prevents the gas from vaporizing or evaporating in your tank. Ultimately it's your call and your wallet. Personally I never let my tank go under half full.