Us Gas Cards

When the price of gas hit the $4 per gallon level nationwide, people panicked, at a loss for immediate, practical solutions to cope with sudden, steep fuel price hikes. The rising cost of fuel is a burden to everyone–we’re all dependent on gas one way or the other.

At the moment, there isn’t really a true alternative to gas. Hybrid cars, especially the next generation of them, look very promising because they are built to consume less fuel. But then again, not everyone can afford to buy a hybrid vehicle. If only everyone could afford a Tesla Roadster, or if only GM’s Hy-Wire (the car that can use sea water as fuel) could be mass-produced and sold at an affordable price, rising oil prices wouldn’t be a problem at all. But since we are dependent on oil, we need to fuel up regardless of our preferences or any future price hikes.

So our only real course of action right now, considering that gas is becoming way too expensive, is to find ways to consume less gas. The less fuel we burn, the less we have to purchase, and therefore, the more that we can save.

To consume less, we ought to change our driving habits to maximize the gas mileage of whatever car we currently own. Here are some gas-saving tips:

1. Keep revs to a minimum.
   The gas pedal is called ‘gas pedal’ because the deeper you press on it, the more you make your engine burn fuel so that it can produce more power. Conversely, the gentler you press on it, the less you burn gas. So when driving, try to ease off the throttle more often and try to keep engine revs to a minimum. If you are driving a manual transmission car, you can shift gears slightly earlier than usual to help maintain engine revs to a minimum.

   Accelerate gently and wait for the car to gain momentum on its own, instead of pushing it to reach the speed you want right away. You’re not in a race so there’s no point in making quick accelerations. Some people might say that they are in a hurry and must get to their destination ASAP. The solution is to prepare earlier so that you don’t have to rush when you drive.

2. Settle for the minimum allowable speed on the highway and on the freeway.
   The faster a car goes, the more wind resistance it encounters, and therefore, the more power you’ll need to sustain that particular speed. It’s best to just settle for the minimum allowable speed when you drive in the highway or in the freeway. In this manner, you are conserving energy and saving on fuel because it becomes easier on your engine to sustain a slower speed.
3. Learn to decelerate more gradually.
   A lot of times, we’d spot a ‘yield’ sign about a mile a way or we’d see the traffic light switching to red . When you do, it is better to just lay off the gas sooner than you normally do. Just take your foot off the gas pedal and let the car slow down on its own before gradually applying the brakes. Laying off the throttle and slowing down slightly earlier makes sense because you are bound to stop anyway. Again, the simple rule applies: the softer you step on the gas pedal, the less gas you burn.
4. Learn from hybrid technology.
   Hybrid cars have an ‘auto-switch’ feature wherein the regular combustion engine is turned off when it is not needed to prevent unnecessary fuel consumption during idling. This is one of the reasons why hybrid cars have good gas mileage.

   Of course, you cannot expect to turn off your car’s engine every time you are forced to stop in an intersection. You can, however, reduce your car’s idling time in other ways. For instance, rather than going to the drive-through of a fast-food chain, park your car and buy your food at the counter so that your car doesn’t waste fuel on a standstill. If you are picking up someone, don’t let your car engine run while parked. Turn it off, get out of the car and wait. The important thing is that you reduce your car’s idling time.

5. Use your car less.
   Sometimes, you really just need to use your car less to save fuel. If possible, you may want to carpool with friends or use public transportation from time to time. If the place you’re going to isn’t that far—for instance, the convenience store around the corner—walk to it, use your bike, ask your friend or neighbor for a ride especially if you just need to buy a couple of items.

   You may also want to schedule your trips to the mall or grocery in such a way that you take the shortest routes available, do it at times when you could buy stuff in large quantities, or squeeze it in your usual itinerary so you won’t have to make extra trips. If you’re given an opportunity to move around without using your car, then seize it.