How To Save Gasoline and Spend Less on Energy

Ten Things You Can Do Now to Save on Gasoline and Other Energy Costs It Makes Sense to Save Money when You Can Lex Loeb Contributor Network . Here are some simple things you can do NOW to start saving money on gas and energy costs. 1 Reduce highway speed from 70 mph to 55 you can save a lot of money on gas. IF 55 is too slow than compromise and go 60 mph. Any car or truck going over 35 miles per hour looses efficiency progressively with every increment in additional speed because of drag caused by the air around the car. You can save 20 percent or more of your fuel just by driving slower. My Father driving a full size suburban get 16.7 miles per gallon at just above 55 mph verses 14 mph going 65. Those are significant savings. 2. Turn your air conditioner off and open the windows when possible. 3. Combine your car trips with more planning in advance. 4.Only fill your gasoline tank up half way. It seems counterintuitive to do this but if enough people do this it will cause a supply glut to become obvious and can help make prices for gasoline simply because you force the oil companies and gasoline stations to store the gas instead of you. Once you store immediately unneeded gasoline in millions of car tanks that sends a higher demand signal to supplies than letting them get stuck with storage. In the good old days of oil gluts the oil companies practically had to give away tankers full of oil because the rental price of keeping it on the ship was more than what the oil was worth at market prices. Send the right signal by storing less and helping to get the supply to back up. This only works if you spread the word in the way a chain letter works. Awareness is just the beginning. A real union of consumers would be one that only fills the tank halfway when the car is not being used for long hauls or like a taxi. 5. Unplug appliances in your home when not in use. 6. Wash clothing in cold water instead of hot water , use the energy saver setting on the dishwasher. 7.Lower the thermostat when heating homes and raise it when using the air conditioner. a 1 degree change can mean big savings, If you can bare it being 5 degrees hotter or cooler it is worth saving the money. 8. Walking or bike riding is great exercises so if you can do that instead of driving it has added health benefits. Too many Americans will jump in their cars and drive to the corner market . Walking 6 to 10 blocks is good for you. 9. Use the Internet and the telephone. The Internet makes it possible to have a business meeting over seas without the horrors of having to waste days flying in airplanes and waiting around in terminals. The Internet has the ability to do more to save your fuel costs than anything else ever invented. I often find i can order anything on line and have it delivered at a lower cost than jumping in the car and buying it. I used to have to go to the bank often . I had to drive there. Now i do most of my banking on line. Google it. That is the way to start and calculate costs. I needed pool supply equipment. I drove way out in the suburbs to go to show rooms but got the best deal with free shipping on line. UPS does an excellent job of saving gas and they deliver all day long with one truck so they are way more efficient than my going local and driving to pick up goods myself. The phone can also be used. Go on line and look up your state legislators and find their office telephone numbers . Call them and tell them that saving the environment is nice but you don't really see how their preventing oil drilling offshore and on federal land is helping to save anything. Not enough people are calling and telling senators and representatives that we all know it is their fault that we are giving the country away to foreign oil producers. Tell them you don't give a damn about polar bears because the polar bears took care of themselves 1000 years ago when Greenland melted down and caused sea levels to rise. Congressmen need a push in the right direction . You need to use the telephone. Congressmen ignore your emails by the way. It is best to call. 10. Craigslist.org Craigslist is probably the most amazing thing to happen in the past 10,000 years of human history. Want to car pool ? put up an add on craigslist telling the local people in your area where your usual driving route is and what your schedule is. You will be amazed that after years of driving to and from work by yourself that you can find a passenger going the same way daily who will help pay for your gas. Yes, Help pay for your gas. I would pay $4 for a ride home not having to take a stupid bus. In order to achieve success on craigslist you may have to list frequently because not everyone is on line yet. Craigslist also has a Rides offered and wanted posting section. These ads are free. Before you give someone a ride you can ask for references or meet them in a public place like a starbucks cafe because there are bad elements on craigslist but those are few and in between. .