Tips to Improve Your Fuel Efficiency

As fuel prices start to climb again, be sure your car is running efficiently as possible.

1. Be sure to perform your car's scheduled oil changes and tune-ups.

2. Check to see if you need to replace a clogged air filter.

3. Keep your tires properly inflated.

4. Drive smartly - use your cruise control on the highway, avoid quick accelerations and excessive braking.

5. Avoid idling, turn off your car in bank lines and school carlines.

6. Reduce drag by removing roof racks and avoiding excess weight in trunk.

Are lower gas prices really a good thing?

Now that gas prices are staying below the $2 a gallon mark, are you still conserving gas? When gas was $4 a gallon people were more conservative with their driving and got in the habit of combining trips and eliminating unnecessary driving. Low gas prices can mean more money in your pocket if you continue your improved driving habits, but are they good for our country overall? Maybe not...

1. There is a direct relationship between the price of gas and the number of deaths in auto accidents each year. This past year when gas prices skyrocketed and people reduced their driving, there was the first significant reduction in driving fatalities in decades.

2. Mass transit ridership will decline.

3. There will be less pressure to find ways to reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil.

What can you do to help with these negative aspects of low gas prices?

1. Continue to limit your driving as much as possible and remember to be a safe driver while on the roads.

2. Encourage local politicians to increase mass transit opportunities in your town and continue to lobby the government to pursue alternative energy sources.

Driving Log

Now that gas prices have fallen drastically, have you changed your driving habits back to your gas-guzzling ways? A lot of people reduced their driving when gas was hovering around the $4 mark, now that it has dropped continue with those changes and save money and the planet. A great way to track your driving habits is to keep a driving log. It’s a great way to track where you're driving and for what purpose. Try to keep a log for one week where you note your destination, mileage, and purpose of the trip. At the end of the week, look to see if there are any trips you can combine. By planning your routes ahead of time you can run your errands more efficiently - saving gas and time.

Finding green...

Have you been finding more green in your wallet lately in the form of extra dollars? With gas prices plummeting to the $1.90 range, you have a great opportunity to save some green while living green. Almost everyone I know limited their driving when gas prices were hovering near the $4 mark, stick with your lifestyle changes and you can save money and the planet. For example, I limited my driving so I only filled up my gas tank once a week. My tank is around 12.5 gallons, so with gas prices dropping over $2 a gallon I can pocket at least an extra $25.00 a week if I stick with my reduced driving plan!! With the holidays approaching that will make buying all the great sustainable gifts on my shopping list that much easier. Do the math - how much could you be earning without changing a thing?

Take the Ten Mile Pledge

What is the Ten Mile Pledge? Plan to reduce your driving by ten miles each week, reducing your driving will cut approximately 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

How to save ten miles a week:

1. Combine trips for errands.

2. Plan your meals and shop only once a week.

3. Carpool to work.

4. Make one day a month a car-free day. Slow down, spend time with your family, enjoy a good book in the hammock, enjoy time at home, run your errands on your bike.

5. Telecommute one day a week and reduce your weekly commuting miles.

Visit www.lighterfootstep.com for more information on the ten mile pledge.

Improve Your Gas Mileage

With gas prices so high, improving your car's gas mileage is not only good for the environment it's good for your wallet. Here are some easy tips to help you out:

1. Make sure your tires are properly inflated.

2. Empty out your trunk, carrying around excess weight will increase your fuel consumption.

3. Follow your car's maintenance schedule. Proper maintenance will keep your car running efficiently.

4. Go the speed limit.

5. Avoid idling, if you are going to be waiting in your car for more than a minute, shut the car off.

6. When driving remember to practice patience as aggressive driving uses more fuel. By avoiding sudden starts or stops you will see significant fuel savings.

7. Save fuel by combining errands and planning your trips to avoid unnecessary driving.

8. Try to reduce the amount of driving you do, by choosing to bike or walk for short trips.

Conserving Gas

As gas prices continue to climb, people are looking for ways to reduce their gas consumption. A positive aspect of high gas prices is that as people reduce their gas use they are also reducing their carbon footprint. This means that by looking for ways to stretch their gas budget, people that don't consider themselves "green" may actually be living a greener life.
Here are some ideas to help you out:

1. Ride your bike to work. By riding your bike you will save money while improving your health and depending on where you live - you may even get to work faster. In this year's Great NYC Commuter Race, which is a race between a bike, a car, and the subway to see which is the fastest commute - the biker won again.

2. Carpool. Carpooling reduces the number of cars on the road and splitting the ride and it's cost saves you money.

3. Plan your errands better. Plan your trips to include all your errands in that part of town instead of driving all over town several times a day.

4. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Properly inflated tires improve gas mileage by about 3%, and save up to 7 cents per gallon.

5. For short trips, walk instead of driving.

In an effort to reduce our gas consumption, my family is using all the above tips. Our two big changes, my husband is biking the short distance to his work and since I work farther away and am typically traveling with my 8 year old daughter - I am carpooling.