PROView - August 2008 - (Page 21) your fuel economy. Ditch “junk in the trunk.” An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical vehicle‘s fuel economy by up to 2%. You can save up to 12 gallons of gasoline per year – almost $45 – by removing an extra 100 pounds of unneeded items from the trunk. 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. Avoid idling. Idling gets 0 mpg. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines. Combine errands/trips. If you combine errands into one trip, you drive fewer miles and use less fuel. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip when the engine is warmed up and efficient. Use Overdrive Gear. If available, use your vehicle‘s overdrive gear to reduce engine speed, which will enable you to save gas and reduce engine wear. Use Cruise Control. Cruise control cuts fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving. Consider other transportation options. Investigate options for getting to work and other places – public transportation, carpooling, biking, walking, or ridesharing when possible. Drivers who switch to other alternatives to get to work might be able to get a car insurance premium discount because typically rates are assigned based on how far you drive to work. The commuting discount applies at any time – while many other discounts apply only when buying a new car. Carpool. Using the average U.S. work commute of 12.1 miles, commuters could save about $300 a year by carpooling twice a week with two other people in a vehicle that gets 20.1 miles per gallon – assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas. Motorcycling. Motorcycles average 56 mpg—and motor scooters do even better. For one person or even two, motorcycles or scooters clearly use far less energy than a car with one or two people. If four people need to go somewhere, they are better off in a vehicle that gets 30 mpg than on two motorcycles that get 56 mpg. Telecommute or Stagger Work Hours. If your employer permits, avoid sitting in traffic and wasting gas, especially during peak rush hours. A worker who telecommutes twice a week would save about $450 a year in gasoline costs. Request the Right Rental. Request a vehicle that gets PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION 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. Buy Smart. When buying a new or used vehicle, think high gas mileage. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site or look for a SmartWay© certified vehicle on EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide for information on fuel-efficient vehicles. Maintenance Tips Inflate Your Tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated is simple and improves gas mileage by around 3%, saving up to 20 gallons of gasoline, or up to $75. 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% – saving up to 25 gallons of gasoline and up to $95. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40% – saving up to 250 gallons of gasoline or up to $940. Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a clogged or dirty air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine – though in newer model cars it does not improve fuel efficiency. 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 to extend the life of your vehicle, and remember to recycle used oil which can be re-refined, to save even more money. Take the Drive Smarter Challenge and get more money-saving fuel-efficiency ideas and related product discounts. Share them with your family and friends and “fuel the challenge” at www.drivesmarterchallenge.org. Tips are calculated as annual savings, driving the national average of 12,500 miles per year in a vehicle with a fuel economy of 20.1 mpg using regular grade gasoline at $3.78 per gallon – the projected 2008 annual average by the Energy Information Administration‘s June Short Term Energy Outlook. Savings estimates represent the highest likely savings to occur. Individual savings will vary depending on how many miles you drive per year, the fuel economy of your vehicle, your region‘s climate, and your current maintenance and driving habits. Tips are calculated as annual savings, driving the national average of 12,500 miles per year in a vehicle with a fuel economy of 20.1 mpg using regular grade gasoline at $3.78 per gallon – the projected 2008 annual average by the Energy Information Administration‘s June Short Term Energy Outlook. August 2008 21 http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - August 2008 PROView- August 2008 Contents Chairman’s Notes Feature Story PROActive PRO News Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report MLS Update New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members MLS Mind Your Manners Calendar of Events & Programs Money-Saving Gas Tips PROView - August 2008 PROView - August 2008 - PROView- August 2008 (Page Cover1) PROView - August 2008 - PROView- August 2008 (Page Cover2) PROView - August 2008 - Contents (Page 1) PROView - August 2008 - Chairman’s Notes (Page 2) PROView - August 2008 - Chairman’s Notes (Page 3) PROView - August 2008 - Feature Story (Page 4) PROView - August 2008 - Feature Story (Page 5) PROView - August 2008 - PROActive (Page 6) PROView - August 2008 - PROActive (Page 7) PROView - August 2008 - PROActive (Page 8) PROView - August 2008 - PROActive (Page 9) PROView - August 2008 - PRO News (Page 10) PROView - August 2008 - PRO News (Page 11) PROView - August 2008 - Marketplace Analysis (Page 12) PROView - August 2008 - Home Sales Report (Page 13) PROView - August 2008 - MLS Update (Page 14) PROView - August 2008 - New REALTOR® and Affiliate Members (Page 15) PROView - August 2008 - MLS Mind Your Manners (Page 16) PROView - August 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 17) PROView - August 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 18) PROView - August 2008 - Calendar of Events & Programs (Page 19) PROView - August 2008 - Money-Saving Gas Tips (Page 20) PROView - August 2008 - Money-Saving Gas Tips (Page 21) PROView - August 2008 - Money-Saving Gas Tips (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.