From House To Home

If Andy Griffith appeared on American Idol beating a child and burning the flag, it might upset the American public more than skyrocketing gasoline prices have. But not by much.

As every American knows, gasoline prices have risen to an alarming level. Gasoline now costs one-third of what we pay for designer drinking water—or for beer. What every American does not know is that, adjusted for inflation, gasoline has gone up much like everything else. That does not stop television talking heads from delivering their explanation for rising fuel costs, most of them incomplete or inaccurate or both. If that isn’t enough useless noise, our politicians are proposing solutions that will not work.

Meanwhile, it is accurate to say that you and I are shelling out about $3 a gallon at our local service stations, and that we’re not pleased. On a common-sense tactical level, what can we do about reducing our fuel costs?

Well, if we’re driving a gas guzzler, we could sell it and buy a hybrid or a diesel—or just swap it for a high-mileage small car. But most of us do not want to take the time or the financial beating that trading down can entail. Besides, the cost of buying a new vehicle that you haven’t already budgeted for can be painful. This is especially true if you have to pay list price plus a dealer mark-up for a hybrid.

If you are in the market for a car, however, you might take a look at a diesel-powered car. Only a handful are available in the U.S., and those can’t be sold in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, or New York. But if you’re seeking savings and willing to spend time looking for a service station that sells diesel, today’s diesels are clean, getting cleaner, and can increase mileage by 35 percent. If your feel good factor is important, know that it also takes less energy to refine a gallon of diesel fuel.

But let’s assume you keep the wheels you’re driving. Now what?

The folks at edmunds.com, a useful and informative automotive website, proposed one of the easier and more effective tactical acts: lighten up on the accelerator. That’s the rectangular object on your car’s floor just to the right of the brake. It’s not called the “gas pedal” for nothing. The edmunds.com experts reckon that a light foot on the accelerator can increase your miles per gallon by 30 percent. That may be a tad high, but keeping your foot off the firewall will have a positive effect.

You don’t drive too fast, you say? I bet you do. And besides, we’re not talking about pure speed. Think about these three driving situations.

If you try to increase your speed going up a hill, you’re wasting gas. Let the car move up the hill using as little pedal pressure as possible. You shouldn’t lose momentum on an incline, but it’s costly to try and increase it.

Are you aware that braking can have an adverse effect on fuel economy when you brake too late or too early. Try to look ahead and let the car slow down on its own before you apply the brakes. You’ve already used fuel to attain your speed, so why waste it by scrubbing off that speed too early—in which case you’ll have to get back on the gas pedal to reach your intended stopping point. If you find yourself braking late—abruptly—it means you were going too fast to begin with, and that you used more gas than you had to.

The third item concerning speed is to remember that a car uses twice the fuel at 70 mph as it does at 50 mph. Obviously, you don’t want to become a moving roadblock on the Interstate, but its worth remembering that every 5 mph you add to a speed of 60 mph is akin to adding 30 cents or so to the cost of a gallon of gas. And when you find yourself on highways and Interstates, use your cruise control feature. The system’s computer is far more efficient than you are, trust me.

Here are three ideas that qualify as kindergarten-level fuel-saving tips, but it would surprise you to know how many people don’t even think of them.

The first “duh” suggestion is to ask yourself whether the trip you’re about to make is necessary. Or whether that errand you’re about to run can be combined with two, three, or even four others. The potential for saving fuel through smart planning is not only apparent but also big—and so easy a child could do it if the child had a driver’s license.

Many of us live in multiple-vehicle households. If that applies to you, figure out which vehicle delivers the best fuel economy, and use it when the thirstier vehicle is not necessary. You don’t need a full-size SUV to pick up a pizza or a sack of hamburgers; use the car instead of the SUV. If you are a two- or three-SUV home, seek counseling or get a home equity loan.

Here’s another no-brainer: go out to your car, open the glove compartment and take out the owner’s manual. You have likely never done that, but don’t be afraid. Look up the recommended fuel, and unless you own an exotic automobile such as a Porsche or Ferrari, you’ll see that 87-octane regular gasoline is the manufacturer’s fuel of choice. There’s at least a 10 percent price difference.

Gasoline normally comes in 87, 89, and 91 octane, octane being a measure of the fuel’s resistance to ignition. Premature ignition, almost unknown today, will cause “knocking.” The 87 octane fuel is the cheapest. Buy it. Using a grade higher than you need does no favor to your car and certainly not to your purse or wallet.

These thoughts and suggestions will not solve the energy problem overnight, but they will help. And you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re using your head to not only improve the situation but also to save a noticeable amount of cash.