When you’re counting the pennies and times are hard you look to save money everywhere you can. In a world where using your car is unavoidable one of the most expensive financial outlays is your gas bill. While you cannot do anything about the wholesale price of gas there are certain things you can do to try and keep your gas bill as low as possible.
Firstly you should make sure your vehicle is in good condition; by keeping it well-serviced you will ensure the engine is running to it’s optimum performance and not burning more gasoline than it needs. Regularly check the condition of the air and oil filters as well as the spark plugs and cables and ensure the engine oil is replaced every year to keep it running as well as possible.
You should also make sure your tires are pumped up to the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. Tires that are under-inflated lower gas mileage and are also less safe than correctly inflated tires.
A practical way you can easily cut your gas budget is to make sure your car is as empty as possible. If you carry round items in your car simply because you have forgotten to take them out you are having a detrimental effect on your gas consumption. The lighter your car is the less work the engine has to do, there it will use less gasoline.
Empty your car of any unused items and take off roofboxes and cycle-carriers when they are not in use. It may sound silly but you should also try not to fill your car to the brim when you go for gas. Petrol is heavy so having a full tank will mean you use more of it carting the full petrol tank around! You should also try to fill your gas tank when the ambient temperature is cooler as colder petrol is more dense so you’ll technically get more for your money.
Another way to cut your gas budget is to think about the way you drive. If you don’t need to use it turn off your air-con as this is a prime culprit for eating up your gas. You should also try to stay under 3000 rpm as this will use less fuel than straining your engine. Braking heavily also affects your gas consumption so you should begin braking slowly well before you reach junctions and try to use the engine to slow you down.
As with everything to get the best deal you should shop around to find the cheapest petrol. The price of gas varies at different filling-stations so you should find the cheapest and fill up there. In order to save more money you should also consider paying for your gas using loyalty schemes and cashback credit cards so you get points or cashback on your purchases.
Of course the simplest way to save money on your gas bill is to walk! While walking everywhere isn’t always practical you can always car-share or consider using public transport for some journeys as the best way to save on your gas bill is simply to not use your car.