Offers tips that every driver can use to conserve gas
Albany—State Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) today urged New Yorkers to prepare for summer by looking for ways to conserve energy and use less gas. To help constituents understand the many small steps that can lead to big savings, Senator Adams has put together a collection of tips on how every driver can get away with spending less at the pump.
“Americans are consuming six times more energy than the average person anywhere else in the world,” explained Senator Adams. “Unfortunately, we don’t often realize what that actually means until we fill up our gas tank or open our electric bill. Even though driving less is not always an option, there are many steps that every car owner can take to save on gas this summer.” The Brooklyn lawmaker affirmed that Memorial Day weekend is the “unofficial start” of the summer traveling season.
Among the tips compiled by Senator Adams include:
· Buying the lowest grade octane recommended for your vehicle.
· Slowing Down—every 5 miles per hour over 60 could cost you as much as 10 cents a gallon.
· Reducing stops—“stop and go” driving can cost you 2-3 miles per gallon.
· Tightening up that gas cap—loose and damaged gas caps cost 147 million gallons of gas to
evaporate every year right out of Americans’ gas tanks.
· Parking in the shade—hot cars cause gas to evaporate more quickly.
· Emptying your trunk and don’t carry items on your roof if at all possible—this can decrease
your gas mileage by five percent.
· Pumping up your tires—under inflated tires wear down more quickly causing your car to use
more gas to get up to speed.
· Using the right oil—this alone can add two percent onto your gas mileage.
· When you are done fueling, turn the nozzle upside down while still in your car, this gets every
last drop into your tank and not on your shoes.
· Use your air conditioner at higher speeds and open the windows at lower speeds.
· Carpooling—despite the many benefits of carpooling, few Americans do it. Arrange a route
with a co-worker or two and you will save big at the pump (not to mention the wear and tear
put on your vehicle).
· Knowing the lowest gas prices in your area by visiting websites like www.fueleconomy.gov [2]
and http://www.gasbuddy.com [3].
According to the United States Department of Energy, Americans are spending $1 million per minute on energy—60 minutes an hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In New York, on top of the $183 or so the average New Yorker will spend on gas every month, they can also expect a household electric bill of about $99.83—even more if they use an air conditioner.
“Energy prices are out of control. And with about 20,000 new cars hitting the roads every day in China alone, it seems increasingly unlikely that as demand increases and resources become more limited, that the price of gas will go down. People are already saddled with high gas prices and all indications are that by the end of the summer a gallon may cost as much as $5. It is clear that the time for real investment in renewable energies has come,” said Senator Adams.
Adams and State Senate Democrats have championed alternative energies for a number of years, particularly the production of biofuels made from quickly renewable resources, like switch grass, potatoes and soybeans.
“The possibilities are endless. Unfortunately the federal government has failed to invest in the science and intellect that could lead a more energy efficient and economically sound future. New York must step up to the plate and invest in the production and distribution of alternative energies. These tips are important as New Yorkers brace for what could be a costly summer—consumers must be armed with ways to protect their own bottom lines,” concluded Senator Adams.
