We all want to spend more time getting the job done and less filling up at the pump. Unfortunately, a few factors bar many of us from saving more gas: unsafe driving, unorganized trips, and an oversight on vehicular maintenance. If you want to learn how to conserve more fuel, you just need to tweak your driving habits a little bit to notice a big difference! Here are our 11 favorite tips:
Shop Wisely
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, you’ll definitely want to do your research if you want a fuel-efficient car. Choose a model that both offers the best fuel economy in its class and fits your lifestyle!
Service Your Vehicle Regularly
A well-maintained car typically conserves more fuel and here’s why. Dirty filters, unaligned wheels, and engines giving off excessive emissions lead to a greater waste of fuel. Take your vehicle into the shop regularly to ensure that it’s performing at its best!
Pay Attention to Your Tires
Do yourself a favor – after you read this blog, check out your vehicle’s doorpost sticker for your tires’ minimum inflation pressure. Underinflated tires don’t just consume more fuel – they also wear out more quickly and pose a danger to your safety should they overheat and blow out. If you don’t have a tire gauge in your glove box, we suggest keeping one handy. Check your tires’ psi (pounds per square inch) every once in a while to make sure they’re within the proper range!
Obey the Speed Limit (Seriously)
We don’t mean to be the fun police, but if you want to conserve more fuel (and stay safe), you should drive the speed limit. Doing so will not only improve your fuel economy, but it may also save a life!
Take It Easy on the Pedals
Do you have a tendency to slam on the brakes when you approach a stop sign or red light? You might want to try working on that if you want to save gas. Quick starts and hard stops eat up quite a bit of fuel. Work on taking your foot off the gas pedal early on and coasting to a slower speed before you need to brake. Speed up smoothly whenever it’s safe to proceed. This change in behavior will help you save fuel and reduce the wear and tear on your brakes!
Park More, Idle Less
Let’s say you’re stopped at a railroad crossing or need to pull into a parking lot to answer a text. Letting your engine run while you sit will consume gas. If you’re going to be stopped for more than one minute, turn off your engine until you’re ready to move. Just make sure that you’re safely out of harm’s way before turning off your car since you may disable your airbags and other safety features!
Use Cruise Control More Often
This handy feature is pretty great. It allows you to focus more on your driving and helps you conserve more fuel at the same time by maintaining a constant speed! If you have cruise control, take advantage of it and use it more often. Unless the road is wet or slippery, that is – your vehicle can easily lose control if you use cruise control in those conditions!
Plan Your Trips Strategically
Do you have a lot of errands to run? Before you head out, come up with a plan to help you accomplish all your tasks in as few trips as possible! It won’t just save you gas – it will also save you plenty of time.
Get the Junk out of Your Trunk
It’s easy to leave your bowling ball or some landscaping materials you picked up earlier in the week in your trunk, but doing so can really cost you in fuel efficiency. Take the time now to clean out your trunk (and your cabin, for that matter) and unload anything you don’t need with you in your vehicle. You’ll get much better mileage this way!
Think Aerodynamically
Can you guess what two of the biggest sources of reduced fuel mileage are? Wind drag and air conditioning. Open windows, especially on the highway, make air flow into the cabin, which slows down your vehicle and eats up more gas. On the other hand, your A/C compressor requires quite a bit of power and fuel. Keep your travel smooth and streamlined by keeping your windows up and your air conditioning off for as long as possible. For fresh air, run the vent and crack your window. Of course, if it’s just too hot out there, we recommend setting the internal temperature to a nice 72 degrees, if your car has that option.
Chill Out Behind the Wheel
No one likes an aggressive driver – not even your own car. Tailgating, jet stops and quick starts, driving at high speeds, and weaving in and out of traffic are all dangerous habits that devour gas like crazy and wear down your car (and you won’t shave off very much time either). If you tend to be an impatient driver, take steps to scale it back – to both increase your fuel economy and keep you and others around you safe!
Being fuel-efficient can save you plenty of time and money – so can relying on HSO. We work hard to deliver gasoline and diesel fuel to commercial companies, construction sites, and farms in a timely manner. Is your bulk fuel supply starting to dip? Call us today at 1-800-467-5044 to schedule a delivery!