The typical vehicle uses approximately 600 gallons of fuel and is driven more than 16,000 miles each year. This adds up to a lot of miles driven and a lot of money spent on gas. It appears as though our society is dependant upon our cars and therefore gasoline. So, when the cost of gasoline reaches new heights, we must find alternative ways to reduce our fuel consumption. The following are some ideas on how to do just that.
When possible eliminate the use of motor vehicles altogether by walking, biking or telecommuting. For the time when motor vehicle travel is necessary, when available take public transportation. Carpooling also saves money and reduces traffic congestion and pollution. Sharing rides with a co-worker can cut your commuting costs in half, as well as help preserve the environment. Ask your employer if there is a vanpool. Sometimes companies offer their employees the opportunity to multiply their carpooling savings by establishing vanpools.
Good driving techniques will help reduce your vehicles fuel consumption. It is reported that a good driver will get 20 percent more miles per gallon than the average driver and 50 percent more than a wasteful driver. Use the most energy efficient car. Drive at a steady pace. Always accelerate smoothly and moderately. These are just a few examples of actions that make someone a good driver.
It is important to regularly maintain your vehicle. Regular maintenance can mean greater fuel economy and dollars saved. Regular tune-ups also extend the engine life of a car as well as improve It is important to regularly maintain your vehicle. Regular maintenance can mean greater fuel economy and dollars saved. Regular tune-ups also extend the engine life of a car as well as improve a cars performance. A poorly tuned car can use as much as 3 to 9 percent more gasoline than a well-tuned vehicle.
Finally, for many Americans driving is more than a form of transportation; it is also a form of recreation. Family road trips are the traditions of many. For the times were road trips are necessary, make sure you pack carefully. Unnecessary weight can add to high levels of fuel consumption. You may want to choose a trip where you are only required to drive to the destination and once you arrive you do not need to drive. Just remember, when you can use other forms of transportation.
By now we are all aware that we need to reduce our energy consumption not only for our environment but also where most of us will notice it the most. Our wallets. Electricity and gas are on, what seems to be, a never ending upwards climb. But even as costs keep raising here are some of the best and easiest ways to reduce your energy bills.
1. Water Consumption: Most homes use way more water than they actually need. Start with your shower by replacing the shower head with a low-flow shower head. If you've used one in the past and found them lacking in pressure, shop around. There are ones on the market that offer good pressure while saving you money on your water bill.
Next tackle your toilet. Here you have a couple of options. You can either replace your current toilet for one that uses less water, and even better would be a dual flush model. Or you can make your old toilet a little less thirsty by placing a plastic container filled with stones into the tank to displace, and therefore fill it, with less water.
Finally add aerators to your faucets in your kitchen and bathrooms. These work by increasing the pressure of the water from the tap and introducing air bubbles so that it feels like there is more water coming out than there actually is.
2. Seal Off The House: The biggest threat to heat loss in a home can be hard to notice. All of the little cracks and leaks around windows and doors may not seems like much but added together and the loss can be huge. In fact most experts agree that all of these cracks can add up to a hole about 1 foot square. Replace weather stripping and seals were need.
And for those hard to find leaks use a burning stick of incense. Hold it near doors and windows and any draft will disturb the smoke. As an added benefit your home will smell nice too.
3. Change Those Bulbs: Recently Australia made a move to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs and it is not as crazy as you might think. Just by changing half of all the light bulbs in the high traffic areas of your home with compact fluorescents could reduce your electric bill by half. Now think of what your electric bill would look like if you replaced the rest of those incandescents with fluorescents.
New compact fluorescents are now available for almost any type of fixture or application and they are no longer just bright white, making your home look like an office. Get something in a soft white and you won't know the difference. And most of all the price has come way down since they were first introduced.
By doing a few simple and low cost changes in your home you can save yourself a bundle on your utility bills and have the added benefit of knowing that you have done your part for our planet.
Both Gregg Hall & Stefan Hyross are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gregg Hall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lingerie, Desserts and Mortgage. Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get quality