CHANGE MY LOCATION
John Morrissey
Denver Traffic Examiner
Examiner Feeds
These websites were picked by the Denver Traffic Examiner as useful resources.Denver Examiners
Denver Gardening Examiner
Most Recent Post
Garden in any season -- even without a greenhouse
Denver Traffic Examiner
12 Ways to Save Gas Today
Well, here are 12 things you and I CAN do, right now, to save a few pennies at the pump.
Do you really need the expensive stuff? Read your owners manual. According to an article in the Money section of cnn.com, if your owners manual says premium is "recommended," but not "required," fill up with Regular instead. It will not hurt anything. You probably will not even notice the lower octane. Plus, you can save as much as 10 percent on a fill up, according to AAA.
| Record Prices Across Colorado Again Today! |
| Regular $3.51 |
| Mid Grade $3.75 |
| Premium $3.92 |
Diesel $4.16 |
Do it in the dark. (Buy gas, that is). Gas pumps measure gas by volume. Since gas is a liquid, its volume is denser when the temperature is cooler. So, pump your gas at night,when it is not so hot. Only chumps pump during the heat of the day. Smart drivers do it in the dark.
Speaking of volume, do not overfill your tank. Stop at the first click. As the weather heats up, the gas in your tank expands. Nothing will mess up your day more than seeing a puddle of 4 dollar gas under your car because you overfilled at the pump.
Two words. Wind Resistance. Do not stick stuff on top of your car. howtoadvice.com says even those cool looking aerodynamic luggage carriers that we plop on the roof to stick the snowboards in cost you at the pump. Buying a new car? Dump the sun roof and forget the fancy vinyl roof. Both of these things increase wind resistance and disturb the air flow over your car. That means your gas mileage suffers.
Tire pressure? As far as saving gas, Edmonds.com says, do not worry about it. Sure, your tires wear out faster if they are sagging under your car, but as far as gas savings go, they said it will not make much difference.
They also answered the "windows up, windows down, a/c on or off" question. Again, Edmonds.com says it does not matter. If you are going on a long road trip, you will cut wind resistance and get better gas mileage with your windows up and a/c on, but around town, the extra load on your engine will cancel out anything you might save. So, make your self comfortable and do what feels good.
Do you want to save gas? Here is a tip from the Department of Energy. Clean out the trunk. Golf clubs, snowboards, ski boots, books, anything that adds weight is costing you money. So, clean out the car. Get the junk out of the trunk. You can stretch your gas money by as much as 7 cents a gallon.
See all those gas saving devices that are being advertised these days? Save your money. Bankrate.com interviewed a bunch of experts, including eggheads at the EPA, and they all said the same thing. They do not work and will not save you enough money to cover what they cost you.
The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC for short, agrees. They say those gas saving gizmos are not worth the money. What will save you gas? Well, The FTC says drive the speed limit. You gobble up 20 percent more gas when you drive at 65 instead of 55. If you cruise at 75 mph, rather than 65 mph, you are gobbling up another 25 percent more gas. That can add up to big savings at the pump.
They also recommend that you use your cruise control. Cruise control helps you avoid "speed creep" and keeps you at the speed limit on the highways. The FTC also say to use your overdrive, too. Overdrive reduces engine wear and helps you save money at the pump.
One site said the key to saving gas is really very simple, just do not drive. Wikihow.com says riding the bike, taking the bus or using light rail will save some gas and walking more and driving less will work wonders on your waistline, too.
I am doing some of these things and will try some of the others. Walking more and driving less will just never happen. I know me too well to expect that.
What are you doing since gas prices started to skyrocket? I'd love to hear your ideas.
Topics: gas prices
More from Denver Traffic Examiner
Click! Caught You!
Topics: traffic cameras , Denver
That Dam Road is Still Closed
Topics: Aurora , road repairs , Denver Tec Center
No, Dam It! Not This Weekend.
Topics: I-225 , Aurora , Denver Tec Center
Bike To Work Day? Who Are We Kidding
Topics: Bike to Work
$4.00 A Gallon. The Dreaded Day Has Arrived.
Topics: gas prices
More Cone Zones This Week
Topics: highway construction , E-470 , I-25 , Blackhawk , US 6 , highway 119 , C-470.
Feeling Lucky? Not At The Pump
Topics: gas prices
Buy A Car....Get A Free Handgun
Topics: Car Sales
It Is Official. $4 Bucks For a Gallon of Gas Nationwide.
Topics: gas prices
