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NRDC - The Earth's Best Defense

Move America Beyond Oil

Let's take the road to a clean, secure energy future.

Seven Ways to Save Gas Right Now

Gas prices got you down? Save big at the pump with our simple car tips.

  1. Pump It Up

    2. Check your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have under-inflated tires, according to a survey by the Department of Transportation. If we all keep our tires pumped up right, the nation could save 200,000 barrels of oil a day.

  2. Slow It Down

    3. Ease up on the pedal. Slowing down from 75 to 65 miles per hour will drop your highway gasoline consumption about 15 percent. That's money in your pocket.

  3. Cut the Engine

    4. If you're stuck at a freight train crossing, waiting to pick up a teenager or trapped in a huge traffic jam, turn off your engine. Across the country, idling cars waste millions of gallons of gasoline every day. If your wait is longer than 30 seconds, restarting the engine uses less gas than leaving it running.

  4. Commute Smarter

    5. Share a ride to work, telecommute or use transit. If your daily commute is just 10 miles each way (the national average) and you normally drive a 20-mpg vehicle, you would save 236 gallons of gas each year by opting to carpool, telecommute or use transit. If each commuter car carried just one more passenger once a week, we would cut America's gasoline consumption by about 7.7 million gallons.

  5. Get in Tune

    6. Take your car in for regular maintenance (check your owner's manual to find out how often your car needs a tune-up). Following the recommended maintenance schedule keeps your car running better and longer. A poorly tuned or poorly maintained engine can increase gasoline consumption by as much as 15 percent.

  6. Use Good Motor Oil

    7. Choose a fuel-efficient motor oil marked with an "Energy Conserving" label by the American Petroleum Institute. Motor oils with additives that reduce friction can increase a vehicle's fuel economy by 3 percent or more.

  7. Buy an Efficient Car

    8. If you're in the market for a new car, get one that uses less gas. Think about how big a vehicle you really need. Then compare models in the same class, and pick the one with the highest miles-per-gallon rating.