Labor Day Holiday Travelers Can Cut Gasoline Costs With Alliance to Save Energy's...

Labor Day Holiday Travelers Can Cut Gasoline Costs With Alliance to Save
Energy's Drive $marter Challenge Interactive Website, Resources

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. consumers planning a
vacation or road trip during the upcoming Labor Day weekend or beyond can save
money on gas and be more fuel efficient with the many resources, tips, and
myth busters on the Drive $marter Challenge website at
www.drivesmarterchallenge.org.
The website offers extensive resources that cover such questions as: Where
can I rent a hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicle? At my vacation destination,
where can I find public transportation? Where can I find cheap gas along my
vacation route?
Even with the recent drop in gas prices, road trips may still strain
finances, because the average price for a gallon of gas is almost a dollar
more than a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information
Administration. While drivers cannot control gas prices, they can take simple
steps to increase fuel efficiency and reduce gasoline costs.
Whether you are headed to the big city or sandy shore, how you drive and
maintain your vehicle can either increase or decrease a vehicle's fuel
efficiency and your gas costs. You can start saving money on gas even before
you are on the road with a little planning and basic maintenance tips from the
Drive $marter Challenge.
Planning your vacation:
-- Choose the right vehicle. If you own more than one vehicle, drive the
one that gets better gas mileage if possible.
-- Request the right rental. If you are renting a vehicle at your
destination, request one that gets better fuel economy, and remember to fill
up the tank before returning the car to the rental company, which charges much
higher gas prices -- and perhaps even an extra gas surcharge.
-- Are we there yet? Getting lost while driving in unfamiliar areas could
lead to an expensive waste of gas. Resources on the Drive $marter Challenge
website can help your family print a customized vacation map that highlights
low cost gas along your route.
-- Rise and shine! When possible, drive during off-peak hours to reduce
gas costs and stress by avoiding stop-and-go or bumper-to-bumper traffic
conditions.
-- Consider other transportation options. Investigate options for getting
around on your vacation-public transportation, biking, walking, or ridesharing
when possible.
Before You Leave: Maintenance Tips
-- Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated is simple and
improves gas mileage by around 3%.
-- Select the right oil. Using the manufacturer's recommended grade of
motor oil, including re-refined motor oil, improves gas mileage by 1 to 2%,
resulting in annual savings of up to $45. Motor oil that says "Energy
Conserving" on the API performance symbol contains friction-reducing
additives. Also, change your oil as recommended to extend the life of your
vehicle and remember to recycle the used oil which can be re-refined, saving
even more energy.
-- Tune up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an
emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4%.
While On The Road: Driving Tips
-- Decrease your speed. Speeding costs! Gas mileage usually decreases
rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an
additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.
-- Drive sensibly. Speeding, rapid acceleration (jackrabbit starts), and
rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds.
-- Use cruise control on highways. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by
maintaining a steady speed during highway driving.
-- Use overdrive gear when appropriate to reduce engine speed, which will
enable you to save gas and reduce engine wear.
-- It's a "drag." Avoid carrying items on your vehicle's roof. A loaded
roof rack or carrier increases weight and aerodynamic drag, which can cut
mileage by 5%. Place items inside the trunk whenever possible to improve your
fuel economy.
-- Turn down the air. Operating the air conditioner on "Max" can reduce
mpg by 5-25% compared to not using it.
-- Avoid idling, which gets 0 mpg. Cars with larger engines typically
waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.
-- Navigate with a GPS system. GPS systems can help you find your way and
increasingly, GPS programs can search for low prices at nearby gas stations.
To find out how to save hundreds of dollars a year on gas with your
specific vehicle by taking six actions, go to www.drivesmarterchallenge.org.
Those who choose to take the challenge (1-6 driving or maintenance actions)
can obtain discount maintenance coupons.
The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business,
government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and
clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the
economy, and national security.
SOURCE Alliance to Save Energy

Jessica Lin of Alliance to Save Energy, +1-202-530-4346, jlin@ase.org