It's Official: Fuel Prices Suck!

Having just returned from a 7 day road trip in the heat of the Australian outback - in summer - I can confirm two things. One - road trips absolutely rock! Two - the price of fuel totally sucks!!!

Even in a relatively economical little Hertz rental, I burned up over 3 tanks of gas in a week, which in turn burned a huge hole in my pocket. But what can you do? Tried turning off the air con for a bit, butt the heat was unbearable.

What do the experts advise then? You'll find several easy ways that gasoline usage can be limited by the average driver. This doesn't require any more work or cost to help you lower the amount of fuel your car consumes.

Don't ever throw away your money on unproven products that claim you will get better mileage by using their product. The EPA has done extensive studies on these products and determined that all of them do not work as advertised. Do not be tempted to purchase anything that makes bold claims on improving fuel efficiency.

An easy way to save on fuel, that is only important at certain times, is to leave the air conditioner off. By leaving the ac unit on, the vehicle is not only using more fuel but it also loses power and responsiveness. The engine's efficiency is impacted by using the air conditioner, and it'll decrease the gas mileage, as well. Only if the inside of your car is completely unbearable, it would be a good idea to leave the air conditioner off.

This can make driving environments a little less comfortable, but that can be evened out by having more money, by buying less gas. This really is something that many of us may be resistant to do in order to save on gas. There was a time when cars or trucks didn't have air conditioners in any way. To help reduce the discomfort, you could drive during less hot times of the day. Unless you have a pretty inflexible schedule, you should be able to complete, at least some of your driving, during the cooler times of day. You might want to focus your driving through the morning or evening hours.

You can merely drive with the help of the windows rolled down, letting in a nice cool breeze, particularly when you are out on the highway. Back in the days of the past, the cool breeze was in fact the only real air conditioner available. Although there will be some bite in fuel efficiency with the windows down, it won't compare to the cost of using the air conditioner. If you really want to spend less on fuel, you may have to deal with the intense heat of summer as well. Individuals have gotten so used to the added conveniences put in the automobile, that they don't remember when cars first had radios. Perhaps the vast majority of drivers of today, weren't even born then. We are dwelling in a time when things need to be prioritized, and saving money on fuel might be more important than comfort.

It might be frustrating to be driving in extreme heat and not think about the end goal. However when you don't need to fill up nearly as much, that should make you feel better. Simply by not turning on the air conditioner except if it is absolutely necessary will save you money on gas.