Do you have any tips on vehicle gas conservation?
Thanks,
Mary
Hi Mary:
Are specialty is in home energy improvements in regards to a radiant barrier. However, we sent our team to help find some energy tips on driving and here is what they were able to find:
Driving
- Avoid rapid acceleration; most horsepower (consumes a lot of gas) is built into cars for acceleration; relatively little power (and thus fuel) is required to maintain speed.
- Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly, which saves fuel for everyone.
- When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.
- Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least 20% loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 mpg at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph.
- If your car has an instantaneous mpg indicator, use it to improve your driving efficiency.
- Remove extra weight from the car; 100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg. Pack lightly for trips.
- Try to avoid using roof racks and remove when they are not in use.
- Use cruise control on highway trips.
- For any stop you expect to last more than a minute, shut of your engine rather than letting it idle.
- Do not warm engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.
- Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel and can dilute motor oil, leading to excessive wear on engine parts.
- Reduce the use of your air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having windows open.
- Park in the shade and/or leave windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.









