Tag: Improving Gas Mpg

Will oil go back to $80 a barrel

The answer to the question regarding Will oil go back to 80 a barrel or not really depends on supply and demand. On the demand-side with oil prices being down below $40 a barrel and dropping gasoline prices, consumer demand is going to increase as well as manufacturing demand. Emerging economies will also take advantage of these lower prices and over the next 6 to 12 months increasing demand will put pressure on the amount of oil available from various oil economies.

Will oil go back to 80 a barrel or even $60

On the other side is the amount of production of oil. Saudi Arabia has indicated that they are going to continue producing oil to flood the market. They want to drive other competitors out of the market since their cost of production is much lower. There will be a cut back on the production of oil on the part of higher cost producers. They continue with this strategy even though there is a huge glut of oil on the markets.

All this could lead to an increase in demand over the next 6 to 12 months and a reduction of production over the same period which will push the price of oil higher. It’s anyone’s guess as to when this will happen but many people are thinking that the price will increase by the end of 2015 to $80 or a hundred dollars a barrel.

There may be a period in this year where the price of oil drops much lower than even the $50 range. The Saudis will be successful in driving out many other producers and claiming a larger percentage of the market which is their objective.

What’s your guess on the price of oil which in turn drives the price of gasoline for the consumer over the coming year? Will oil go back to 80 a barrel? Also will we go into a recession? A De-inflation situation? It is almost the end of the year and oil is still sitting around $50 a barrel. Not much time left to make any major moves and it appears unlikely that it will anytime soon.


Gasoline Use and Your Tires

Gasoline Use and Your TiresWith gas prices going up as we write this it is ever more important to save money by using less gasoline! Better to have the cash in your pocket v.s. the big oil companies! Gasoline use and your tires condition can play a huge factor in how much you save. The following is a shortlist of suggestions that drivers may want to consider when trying to save money on gasoline purchases for their cars and trucks. Following these guidelines can save several hundred dollars a year depending on the amount of driving you to do each year for commuting to work and leisure driving.

Gasoline Use and Your Tires – Suggestions

Keep Tires Inflated – tires with the proper air pressure wear better and provide better gas mileage. They will last longer too and provide better stability on the road.

Replace Old Tires – old bald tires can cause tremendous accidents and limit your gas mileage. Replace them with new tires for safer driving and better gas mileage.

Get an app for your phone – use GasBuddy’s, AAA’s TripTik, and the YP Yellow Pages and Gas Prices, all of which are free. Others that cost money include SmartFuel, Gas Cubby, and Cheap Gas. These apps will tell you what stations are selling gas at what prices. You can select the station closest to you that has the lowest price.

Drive less – consolidate errands to keep driving to a minimum. Plan your trips and try to do several things that are on the route that you will be taking. If something can wait until tomorrow when you will be heading past the places you need to go, delay them. Most things can wait a day.

Drive slower – Shave 10 to 15 miles per hour off your speed and you can save up to 15% in fuel consumption. Just give it a try. You will see how much of a difference it makes on your gasoline consumption. If you drive to work every day, you will save hundreds of dollars a year this way.

More Ways to save Gasoline

Keep your windows closed – at highway speeds, air racing through your car will increase its drag and burn up to 10% more fuel. AC will increase your gas usage. If you do not need it, turn it off until it is too hot to be comfortable.

Go light on the brakes – slow and steady acceleration and braking can save as much as 20% in fuel. Coast into stop signs and stop lights and you will save gasoline as well as your brakes. Brake jobs can be very expensive, so the longer they last, the less you have to spend.

Shut Off your car when stopped– restarting the car when you’re idling for more than one minute will cost you less in fuel than restarting the car. Even the Toyota Prius engine shuts off at stop lights to conserve gasoline.

Turn your A/C off. – the air conditioner is a big drag on your car’s engine and gas efficiency. If you do not need it, turn it off and let air from outside cool you off.

Keep your car healthy. — clean dirty air filters, replace aging spark plugs, keep tire air pressure and fluids at recommended levels . Tires that are not at their recommended tire pressure will increase the drag on the car and increase the gasoline consumption.

By taking these steps consumers can optimize their cars consumption of gasoline and lower your overall cost of gasoline energy use. As gas prices continue to rise, you can save even more money by following these suggested guidelines.

For more posts about improving gas mileage for your vehicle, click here.


Saving Money on Gasoline

Saving Money on GasolineWe all need to figure out the best method of saving money on gasoline, because whether we like it or not, the price of gasoline is just going to keep going up and up and there is not a lot we can do about it other than not use it. The price of gasoline affects us in many ways. Some we are not even aware of. For most of us, we think that it is only the cost of a gallon or a liter in Canada’s case. We drive every day and we put gasoline into our cars every day. So we see what how much the cost of gasoline is going up. Recently the price of gas has dropped because there is a surplus of fuel available. It probably will not last long so enjoy it while it is here.

Food Costs More

But what about all of the food that we eat. This is impacted in a big way as well since diesel which is also derived from oil is going up just as much. Diesel is used to power tractors and the trucks that deliver food to us across the country. If it were not for the trucks we would not have fresh produce available to us each and every day. The price of food is going to go up as well, which spells even more inflation.

Then there are all of the synthetics and the electrical generation plants that run on oil. All of these things are going to increase in price due to the rise in oil. Back to our original theme. The only way we can save money on gasoline is to not use it. That applies to the what we purchase as well.

Saving Money on Gasoline – Drive Less and Plan Your Trips

Saving money on gasoline should not be that hard. Drive less, plan your trips to avoid using the car unnecessarily. Purchase a car that is economical on cars. As I am writing this particular post, I am in southern California. I am really appalled at the size of some of the vehicles that are on the roads. Large trucks with one person in them. SUV’s and expensive cars that practically pour gasoline through the engine.

I am also heartened by the number of Toyota Prius’s that are on the road as well. They get 50 miles to the gallon  on average and can really make a difference when it comes to saving money on gasoline.

It All Costs Money

Unfortunately you really do not save that much money on a Toyota Prius  due to the upfront cost of the car. There is a premium on the battery and while your operating costs are much lower, the initial up front cost is high.

There is new battery technology coming and hopefully over the next 10 years we are going to see cars that are at a lower price than they are today with better gas mileage that use rechargeable batteries to help us all save money on Gasoline.

This is one of the most important things for our economy and if we do not solve this problem, our way of life, our standard of living is going to fall considerably. We can start now by saving money on gasoline by being smart about how we maintain our car and how we drive. For more information on how to save money on gasoline, see our previous post entitled, “how to save money on gasoline”.

Your comments are welcome. Anything that can help with reducing our dependence on oil and help the average consumer will be appreciated.

For more ideas about reducing your gas consumption, click here.

 


How to Save Money on Gasoline

As gasoline prices continue to rise there is more and more focus on how to save money on gasoline with your car. We have not even hit the summer months yet and already gas prices are pretty high and the expectation is for the price per gallon to go even higher. We decided to do a series on how to save money on gasoline since it hits the consumer’s pocket-book so hard and it is also related to the tires that you have on your car.

Over the spring, the price has risen continually and while this is really what has prompted us to write this series of posts. However regardless of what the price is, anytime you can save some money why not, so if even if the price decreases, why not try to continue saving some money.

Save Money on Gasoline Usage

In this post we are going to list many of the common sense things that you should be doing. Focus on making sure that you are getting the maximum mileage you can from the vehicle you drive. If you want to improve even further, then you probably need to change vehicles. Purchase one designed to provide a higher mileage per gallon rating.

Here is our list, let us know if we have missed anything:

  • Follow your car’s maintenance schedule
  • Use approved gasoline
  • Keep tires at recommended tire pressure at all times
  • Avoid jack rabbit starts and stops
  • Drive at the speed limit
  • Maintain a clean engine air filter
  • Change the engine oil regularly
  • Plan your trips
  • Combine errands

There are a number of myths that we have recently read about that we wanted to include as part of this post about how to save money on gasoline.

  • Over inflate your tires to improve gas mileage
  • Fill your tires with nitrogen
  • Fill your car’s gas tank in the morning when the fluid is cool and more dense
  • Open windows are more of a drag than running your air conditioning
  • Shift into neutral when going downhill
  • Change your air filter regularly

 More Details

Over inflate your tires to improve gas mileage: Tests have proven that there is virtually no difference in fuel economy. There is a loss of control and maneuverability with over inflated tires as well as the tires may overheat and explode

Fill your tires with nitrogen: Also no savings on gas mileage. Nitrogen is more inert and will maintain proper tire pressure better than regular air.

Fill your car’s gas tank in the morning when the fluid is cool and more dense: Gasoline is stored below ground in tanks which is at pretty much the same temperature all day long so no savings here.

Open windows are more of a drag than running your air conditioning: They both cause about the same drag on gas mileage, so you may as well be comfortable.

Shift into neutral when going downhill; Has no impact since the engine is still running and still burning gasoline.

Change your air filter regularly: Regular checks by your mechanic will be sufficient to let you know when it should be changed. If it is dirty he will tell you it needs changing.

Hopefully these ideas will assist readers regarding how to save money on gasoline. Please leave comments on any additional ideas that you may have.

For more ideas about reducing your gas consumption, click here.


Saving Money at the Fuel Pump

Saving Money at the Fuel PumpGas prices have come down a bit recently from the highs of $4 and more per gallon. However it is only a matter of time before they go up again as the economy picks up and people start spending again. Every time I fill the car up, I groan at the cost of the gasoline. It is time to think about Saving Money at the Fuel Pump. It is time to make sure that I do everything I can to stretch a tank of gasoline as far as I can.

Even if you are driving a small car that get’s great gas mileage, it still is a bit of sticker shock each time you fill up. I just heard to-day that the avg cost of a gallon of gasoline has gone up by one dollar in the last year. That is a lot of money that is no longer available to your family, especially if you commute to work every day.

Saving Money at the Fuel Pump – Fuel Saver List

Here is a list of fuel savers that can help you get as much mileage out of a gallon of gasoline as possible:

  • Clean your fuel injectors
  • Make sure your tires have the proper air pressure
  • Change out the spark plugs, air filter and gas filter as per the manufacturer
  • Plan your trips so that you reduce trips for specific things
  • Car pool to work, team sports and taking the kids to practice
  • Avoid hard accelerations from a stop sign or stop light
  • Coast into stop points, to avoid coming to a complete stop
  • Drive at the speed limit

More Detail about Fuel Savers

Clean your fuel injectors. When fuel injectors are clogged or gummed up, modern engines do not perform efficiently. Ironically, this may actually lead to them introducing too much gas to the combustion chamber. Check you owner’s manual for any directions on the type of fuel injector cleaner to use. You may want to have the dealer do it for you.

Correct air pressure in your tires.  Filling your tires to the correct air pressure ensures your tires will move efficiently across the road. Importantly, use the air pressure recommended by the manufacturer, not the tire supplier. You can find this information in your owner’s manual or on the inside of the driver’s door.

Organizing your life is a good way to save money on gas. Organize running errands to avoid taking multiple trips a day to get things done. Every time you fire up that car, you burn fuel. Make a list of everything you need to accomplish and do it all on one trip.

Car Pool If you have kids, getting them to and from school, sports and the houses of friends can lead to a lot of time on the road. Save money for you and others, by  teaming up with parents to move the kids around in one car.

Car pool to work – This also provides huge savings and gives car poolers a chance to catch up on sleep or read the paper or even get some work done.

Large Gas Saving Techniques

Avoid hard accelerations from a stop sign or stop light. Every time you press the gas pedal to the floor and take off fast, you are burning much more gas. Leave a stop at a more normal level of acceleration.

Coast into stop points, to avoid coming to a complete stop. I see so many people accelerate from stop light to stop light and then hit the brakes hard. Coasting into a stop light, not only saves your brakes. This action also reduces the gas you use on leaving the stop light especially if it turns green as you arrive.

Drive at the speed limit-driving 10 miles an hour over the speed limit causes a severe reduction in your gas mileage. You might get there faster, but it is going to cost you a lot more!

Taking small steps can add up to a big difference. Following the above tips  should spend help you spend less time at the pump. For more gas saving ideas, click here.

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Getting Better Gas Mileage

Getting Better Gas MileageThere many ways to  save  money while operating  your car. It is becoming more and more important to make sure that your car is in perfect working condition. If you are going to limit your costs at the gas pump make sure it is well maintained. Many of these things can be completed by the driver with no need to take your car into the dealer or to a local garage. And, these things do not cost a lot of money either. You can easily save money and get better gas mileage by following a few simple steps. We will try to capture a few of them in this post.

Getting Better Gas Mileage

Keep Your Tires at Full Pressure

One area of maintenance that will help to maintain gas mileage with your car is to keep the tires at the optimum air pressure as specified by the manufacturer. Tires at low pressure will not only deliver poor mileage, the tread will also wear off more quickly. The tires can also over heat at high pressure  potentially causing an accident if they were to explode at high speed. If your tires are filled with nitrogen, which more and more cars are you will need to go to a some place that can handle nitrogen filled tires. The good thing is that tires filled with nitrogen require less topping up!

Change your Car Fuel Filter

A blockage in the car fuel filter can rob the engine of power, causing it to run lean and actually hurt the engine over a period of time. The fuel filter is designed to remove deposits in the gasoline and prevent them from entering the engine. Over time it will become clogged so change it as per the manufacturers instructions.

Good Quality Tires

Tires  that are well balanced without excessive wear can give you better fuel consumption as well. Ensure that they are always balanced and as mentioned earlier are at full pressure.

Clean Air Filter

Replace the air filter in your car on a regular basis. As a minimum check it each time an oil change is performed on the car. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve the mileage that you get with your car by up to 10 percent.

When you calculate that 10 percent into gasoline savings, you’ll be saving up to 45 cents per gallon at current prices in North America. You can ask your mechanic to check the filter and recommend if it needs to be replaced. The mechanic can then replace the air filter in your car or you can do it yourself.

Wheel Base Alignment

Improper alignment will cause bad tire wear on one side or another and a certain amount of engine drag,. This will also increase the amount of gas that you are using.  If you notice that the tires are wearing on one side or another, talk to your mechanic about your next alignment servicing.

Another way that you can tell if your car is due for alignment is if the car pulls to one side of the road or another. You may also feel this  pulling on the steering wheel when you are driving.

Rotate Your Tires

Regularly rotate your tires and check them for uneven use and wear. Rotating your tires ensures even wear across all of your tires. This step will extend the overall time that you can use the tires on your car as well as  you will find that you are saving in  gas costs.

After you have an alignment done on your car most mechanics will also rotate the tires. This doesn’t by any means mean that you should wait until you need an alignment to get those tires rotated.

Balding Tires

Not only are they not safe to drive on especially at high speeds They are far more dangerous in snow and rain conditions, since they will not grip the road at all. You may lose control causing an accident.

Comments are welcome. Look after your car and keep it well maintained to ensure that your driving is safe and you get maximum gas mileage. For more information about getting better gas mileage, click here.

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Improving Gas Mileage

Improving Gas MileageMany people are predicting  that gas prices could climb to $1.40 per liter this summer. As of writing this post on June 1st, prices are at $1.24. During the past week they have been as low as $1.17 and as high as $1.27 per liter of gas. During the spring of 2013, they climbed dramatically and approached $5.00 a gallon in the US in California. It is only a matter of time before they stay at that price, although they are now back to $4.29 a gallon. I really believe that the oil companies are just conditioning us for higher prices. The cost of gasoline for Canadians and Americans is a huge issue for those people who need to drive to get back and forth to work everyday. Improving Gas Mileage can make a difference to your pocket book.

Plan to Improving Gas Mileage

Many Canadians have no intention of cutting back on time behind the wheel. They have to get to work and they want to take their vacation. Some are cutting back on the distance they are traveling, but most are not planning to cancel their vacation according to a survey completed for  Canadian Tire.

Many are planning to find other ways to save dollars to compensate for the increased cost of gasoline. Gas prices have not yet risen far enough to cause major changes in driving habits and also car buying habits. People are looking for other ways to save money to compensate for the increased cost of gasoline.

According to the survey completed for Canadian Tire,  one-in-three drivers (36 per cent) revealed that they would rather give up vacation time than give up driving and more than half (56 per cent) said they will take on the role of do-it-yourself mechanic to save on car-related costs.

Many Canadians need to go back to basics with regards to maintaining an optimum speed to maximize their gas mileage as shown on the chart on the right.

Canadians take a shine to D-I-Y( Do It Yourself)

Many drivers plan to roll up their sleeves this spring to take on ambitious tasks with their cars, that they might have otherwise paid for if not for the hike in gas prices, including:

  • 44 per cent said they would check and replace air filters themselves
  • 33 per cent would attempt to remove their snow tires and install summer tires
  • 73 per cent plan to take on monitoring and topping up their vehicle’s fluids
  • 58 per cent will inspect and replace vehicle light bulbs

The top do-it-yourself job Canadians will take on this summer is cleaning the car, as 90 per cent indicated that they don’t think it’s worth the money to have it professionally done.

While many  Canadian drivers are willing to take on more, the survey shows they draw the line at performing other automotive work such as brake repairs  or oil changes with 81 per cent indicating they would prefer to leave it to the professionals.

Whether performed by a service professional or at home by do-it-yourself drivers, Canadian Tire experts recommend that Canadians and US motorists perform the following spring maintenance tips to help drivers maintain and improve fuel efficiency and to avoid more costly repairs in future:

  • Get rid of winter: Remove winter tires and wash away winter grime and salt build-up
  • Roll on: Check tire tread and ensure proper tire inflation at least once a month
  • Check under the hood: Replenish all essential fluids (automatic transmission fluid, brake fluid and coolant) and get regular oil changes
  • See clearly: Replace worn or damaged wiper blades and burned out light bulbs to maintain good visibility and safety

Other survey findings:

  • 26 per cent of Quebec drivers said they would change their own oil to save money
  • 73 per cent of Ontario drivers said they would rather drive to work than take public transit
  • 97 per cent of BC drivers agree that checking and adjusting tire pressure will help to improve their fuel economy; 59 per cent said they would take on more do-it-yourself car maintenance to offset high gas prices
  • 62 per cent of Alberta car owners said that although it’s not their favorite thing to do, they would prefer to wash their own car to save money
  • 56 per cent of drivers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan said they would detail the interior of their car to help save money

For more posts about improving gas mileage, click here.

 

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Tires and Summer Driving Tips

Tires and Summer Driving TipsIgnoring the tires on your car at any time of the year is one of the fastest ways to prevent your car from getting good gas mileage. It can also causing unsafe conditions for handling your car at high speeds on the highway. With the price of gas sky rocketing, now is a good time to check your tires. We cover a few tires and summer driving tips.

Checking your tires to ensure you are traveling on correctly inflated tires is one of the easiest ways to save money on gas. Making sure they are properly balanced and your front end is aligned is another.

Statistics are provided by the Energy Information Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency. They suggest that it is possible to save between $100.00 to $200.00 per year by avoiding under inflated tires.

Of course your individual savings is based upon how many miles you drive and how under inflated your tires are. Your car will also be more stable on the road and you can avoid accidents more easily if your tires perform well.

Tires and Summer Driving Tips

20% of Tires Under inflated

There is at least one tire under inflated by more than twenty percent (20%) on approximately twenty-three per cent (23%) of cars based on information from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency. That means that almost 1 in 4 cars has at least one under inflated tire. Besides lowering your fuel consumption, under inflated wheels can also lead to steering and braking problems. That makes under inflated tires a possible danger.

Using a tire gauge is the only sure way to know if your tires are under inflated but a telltale sign of under inflated tires are loud squealing when coming to a stop or turning a corner even at slow speeds.

Fuel Efficiency Lower

Driving a car with just one tire under inflated by (8 psi) or 20% can lower the car’s fuel efficiency by 4%. In addition under inflation may reduce the life of the tire by more than 9000 miles. Tires are permeable. That means that air can and does pass through the tire walls.

A tire could lose up to 2 pounds of pressure per month. This is more important in summer as more air permeates through the tire in hot weather as the pores in the tire material get larger in the heat.

To repeat that was just stated heat can accelerate air loss in tires. When a tire is under inflated, the sides of a tire flex and bend more than normal. This builds up heat in the tire. With that additional heat an under inflated tire will to lose air at faster and faster rate.

Under Inflation Requires more Power

There is more bad new concerning under inflated tires and gas consumption. Under inflation also causes the tire to increase rolling resistance. That means the motor has to work harder to move the car and that also increases fuel consumption. Also the extra flexing and bending can weaken the tire walls which could lead to sudden tire failure.

You should make it a habit to measure the air pressure in your tires at least once every month. When you measure your tire pressure the tires need to be cold. A tire on a car is considered “Cold” if the car has not been driven more than 1 mile or the car has been sitting still for at least three hours.

Check the Tire Pressure Weekly

It is a great idea to keep a pressure gauge in your car. Check the air pressure of the tires often. If you can keep your tires at the correct inflation levels you should realize a savings of between $100.00 and $200.00 per year in fuel.

Although proper tire pressure will save you gas and money, it could also prevent tire damage that could lead to accidents. Not only will you be contributing to your fuel economy you will be maintaining the safety of your vehicle.


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