9 Tips To Save On Fuel Expenses

If you review your monthly expenses, you should have noticed that a bulk of it goes to top-up gas for your car. Gas prices have been increasing during the past decade and will continue rising due to demand and supply patterns according to fuel delivery Houston. You might be wondering if it is possible to cut down on your gas expenses. The good news is that you can simply do so if you heed the following advice. In fact, the changes to be employed are quite simple and it is not as difficult to reduce your fuel expenses as you might think it to be.

1. Reduce unnecessary weight

Clear all trash from your car regularly. Remove your roof rack or other furniture from the car when not in use. For instance, you might be carrying portable deck chairs in the trunk of your car on a daily basis, as the chairs could be useful at times. As such, whether you are driving to work or to the beach, the deck chairs will always be laying in the trunk despite being unused. However, their weight adds up and contributes to more fuel required for each drive. Make an effort to only bring items that are needed for each trip, instead of driving a loaded vehicle around. Take a moment each month to clear out the trunk of your car. You might realize how many redundant items you store in your car. This also helps your car to be tidier, definitely a way to score points if you drive a girl home, or offer a colleague a lift!

2. Cut down on your car’s drag

When the weather gets warm, some drivers wind down their windows while others turn up the air conditioner. Intuitively, winding down the windows could use up less fuel. However, when the windows are wind down, more fuel gets burnt. Similarly, when the air conditioning is switched on, more gas will be used as well. You might be wondering, how do we strike a balance between fuel expenses and drag? When traveling below 30 mph, wind down the windows to cool your car down. The gas used to compensate for the drag will not be as much as compared to using the air conditioner. On the freeway, wind up the windows and use the air conditioner to minimize drag.

3. Ensure your tires are the right pressure

Under-inflating your tires result in greater surface area in contact with your tires, which increases the friction and drag that each tire has to overcome. This brings about more fuel usage. It would be ideal to inflate your tires to the appropriate pressure. If you are unsure if your tire pressure is correct, use a car tire pressure monitor for more accurate measurements.

4. Avoid having a full gas tank

Most drivers prefer to fill up their gas tank completely to reduce the number of trips they have to make to the gas station. However, having a full tank equates to more weight, and more gas will be needed to be burnt. It would be helpful to start keeping track of the amount of fuel, in terms of liters, used when traveling from one location to another. Note it down in a notebook and keep it in the glove box for easy reference. In the future, refer to the notebook to determine the volume of gas required for each trip and top up your gas tank accordingly.

5. Drive smooth

Do not accelerate unnecessarily as too much acceleration results in the usage of excess fuel. When the traffic light ahead of you turns red, slow down before you reach the junction. There is no purpose in driving quickly to a stoplight. Furthermore, defensive driving could help. Defensive driving includes minding your speed, maintaining a safe distance between your car and the vehicle ahead, and being prepared for any unexpected events such as pedestrians dashing crossing the road out of the blue. Opt to cruise at a seemingly uniform speed as this uses less gas.

6. Do not leave your engine idle

Each minute your engine is left idle, approximately one to two ounces of fuel gets wasted. This not only impacts your expenses, but it will also negatively affect the environment as more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

7. Use a stop-start engine

An engine stop-start will stop using fuel when the car is at rest. At a stoplight when your car is neutral, simply take your foot off the clutch. The car’s stop-start system will be activated and be in a fuel-saving mode. On the contrary, keeping your foot on the clutch despite stopping at a stoplight will result in the continuous burning of fuel. Invest in a stop-start engine to reduce the rate at which gas gets burnt up.

8. Avoid coasting

Putting your car in neutral gear and rolling down a ramped surface is not going to save you any fuel. Although it does not burn any extra fuel, it is generally quite unsafe as you have less control of your car. These days, new cars contain electronic control units (ECU) so the car will use less fuel while it is going downslope. This way, you do not have to alter the gear and still have sufficient control over your vehicle.

9. Considerations before purchasing a car

Take into account your car’s insurance expenses, recovery costs, and car history. Its history indicates your car’s mileage accuracy, whether there is outstanding finance, the number of previous owners, or whether there is any damage. If there’s any damage, your car could be using more fuel than average. Hence, your fuel expenses could be affected. Weigh the pros and cons before purchasing a second-hand vehicle.

Conclusion

These tips not only help you shave off excess and unnecessary expenses. They can simultaneously help with lowering greenhouse emissions, which is beneficial to our earth. If you are one of those drivers who are seeking to save fuel, be sure to follow these pointers and be on your way to reducing your fuel expenditure. In addition, saving the environment as well.