How to Reduce Gas Prices

I know how to get you a big discount on gas prices. How about 60 cents a gallon discount? How about 20 cents a litre?

Here is a simple way to save money on gas, expressed in units we can all understand. Who wouldn't drive and line up a little to get gas for 2 cents cheaper? These are numbers we can identify with.

But how much are you saving when you drive across town to get cheaper gas? Here it is in round numbers. Say gas is $3 a gallon. Your tank holds 20 gallons but it's never completely empty, so let's say the fillup is 15 gallons. Say the cheaper gas is seven and a half miles away, or 15 miles round trip. Your car, a minivan that you drive in city traffic, gets about 15 miles a gallon in real life. Less than what EPA says, but you're not driving a new car in a lab. If you do the calculation, the extra drive costs you a gallon of gas, or $3 in gas alone on a $45 tankful. Not driving there is going to save you 20 cents per gallon, not counting the maintenance and depreciation cost of the extra mileage, or the value of your time. In Canada, this is a 7 cents a litre discount on your gas

When it's put in those terms, fuel economy is very compelling. It sounds like something the average person might care about. A lot better than mpg or, heaven help us, litres per hundred kilometres.

Save 45 cents a gallon or 15 cents a litre by driving at or below the speed limit. Most cars have their best fuel economy when driving 55 miles per hour. After that it goes down pretty sharply. In my experience, people drive about 15-20% above the speed limit.

Save 60 cents a gallon or 20 cents a litre if you don't accelerate or brake any harder than you have to. Pressing hard on the gas pedal doubles or triples the amount of gas you burn to get to a certain speed. Coasting to a stop is a lot better than keeping your foot on the pedal and then braking hard. Plus if it's a stoplight, coasting increases the odds that you won't have to stop at all and you'll need to accelerate less. Do this on the highway. The car in front of you alternates between going ten and fifty, braking then flooring it. If you keep a safe distance and stay at thirty, you will use half the gas he does. So will the cars behind you!

Don't drive in cold weather. Fuel efficiency, warming up the engine and the car, tire pressure, all gang up on you. It costs you twice as much in gas for typical short trips. You're already being hit with heating bills, so save by not using your car as often.

How to save $3 a gallon or $1 a litre:

• Don't idle. Idling burns gas without going anywhere. Zero mpg. Fifty cents a day on average.
  
• Take transit. Get a portable radio and enjoy the music or information, or discover podcasting. Often, subsidized parking is a taxable benefit but subsidized transit is not.
  
• Walk. Tell your kids to walk. It's great for your figure and your physical and mental health. You'll live longer and enjoy the extra years with the money you save on gas and parking.
  
• Combine trips. This takes planning and cooperation. Not having two cars does wonders here.
  
• Telecommute. It's like getting a big raise.
  

References:

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/driving/autosmart-methods.cfm
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/driving/articles/105503/article.html

3.785 litres = 1 U.S. Gallon

Gasoline is currently over $3/gallon in the U.S. and over $1/litre in Canada.

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