Tips to Help You Save Gas
InfoImagination would like to pass on some tricks to help you get more of your money's worth for every gallon of gas you purchase.
What's the Skinny on Ethanol? George W. Bush, with a history as an oil man, said recently, "As you know, I'm a ethanol person," explaining his belief that it can help reduce US dependence on oil. "It makes sense for America to be growing energy." Yet does ethanol make sense? There are many problems with ethanol: [1] Ethanol can't travel in pipelines along with gasoline, because it picks up excess water and impurities. It needs to be transported by trucks, trains, or barges, which uses more fuel than sending it down a pipeline. [2] Ethanol contains less energy than gas, which means drivers have to make more frequent trips to the pump. [3] Does the production of ethanol require more fuel than is produced? This is somewhat controversial, as scientists do not agree, but recent research shows: the delivery of 1 million British thermal units (BTUs) of ethanol uses 0.74 million BTUs of fossil fuels (not including solar energy -- the sun shining -- used in growing corn). By contrast, the delivery of 1 million BTUs of gasoline requires 1.23 million BTU of fossil fuels. [4] At this time, ethanol is not cheaper than gasoline, and for now, ethanol is helping to increase prices at the pump, not to push them down. [5] Ethanol may be contributing to higher food prices Why Are Americans Whining About Gas Prices? Before we can help you understand why gas prices are so high and provide tips about what you can do to stretch your budget, we need to put world gasoline costs in perspective. Oil workers in Scotland walked off their jobs for a 48-hour strike that closed a major pipeline system supplying the region. This caused gas prices to spike. How much? Let's take a closer look: As of Monday (4.28.08), gas cost 1.25 pounds per liter (which is about US $2.47 per liter). There are 3.79 liters per gallon. This means a gallon of gas costs about US $9.36 per gallon -- if you lived in Scotland!While Americans are frustrated about paying US $3.50 per gallon, this is what the Scotish were paying when conditions were good -- over double our cost. They have had high prices for decades, mandated by their government, to force consumers to conserve energy. They use the tax revenues to build excellent public transporation systems. Very smart! We want you to understand what is going on in the oil world. For the week ending April 11, 2008, average gasoline prices hit a record high of $3.399 at the pump. Prices were up 18.6 percent from what they were a year ago. Demand for gasoline was up 0.8 percent to about 9.3 million barrels a day from the previous year. Although demand for gasoline is up only slightly from a year ago, gasoline production fell to about 8.8 million barrels a day. The reason: refineries are operating at 81.4 percent of capacity, down from about 83.1 percent the previous week. This led to gasoline supplies falling by 5.5 million barrels. Analysts had expected a drop of 1.7 million barrels. In sum, we are demanding about 9.3 million barrels a day and US refineries are producing 8.8 barrels per day. They claim the high price of oil is reducing their profit margins, so they do not want to work harder. By producing less, they are causing prices at the pump to climb. Regarding the price of oil, it surged to a record high Wednesday (4.16.08), spiking to over $115 a barrel. Most economists attribute oil's above-$100 run to the decline in value of the dollar, as traders buy commodities such as crude oil and gold to preserve the value of their assets. The drop in the value of the dollar reflects our huge trade imbalance and government deficit, due largely to our borrowing for the war and consumer debt related to buying too many inexpensive goods from Asia and too much high priced oil from the Middle East and other countries. These conditions will not change soon! To help yourself, stop buying anything from outside the US. Keep your dollars here at home. Demand responsible government policy, which means an end to deficit spending. The Bush / Republican tax policies are crushing the nation. They are giving trillions back to the most wealthy -- and you are paying the price. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, adjusted for inflation, the top earning 0.1 percent of America's population saw their income grow by 85 percent from 1990 to 2004, whereas the bottom 90 percent of earners saw only a 2 percent rise in their income.In the meantime, here are some tips to help you weather the high cost of gas. Remember that every penny (or gallon) saved adds to our recovery. Check Your Tires! First, maintain proper air pressure. Underinflated tires can dramatically reduct fuel economy. When it comes to fuel consumption, not all tires are created equal. According to experts, efficiency can vary by as much as half from tire to tire, and can reduce fuel economy by 10 percent or more. Oversize rims and low-profile tires increase fuel consumption. According to Kelley Blue Book, the most popular factory wheel diameter for cars in 2000 was 15 inches. Today it's 17 inches, with 45 models coming standard with 19-inch wheels this year (up from zero models in 2000). Michelin says its most popular aftermarket tire last year was 20 millimeters wider than in 2001. Size matters, because, all else being equal, bigger rims and wider tires are heavier, are less aerodynamic and create more rolling resistance, which decreases fuel efficienty. Pay Attention to Your Fill Up [1] Only buy or fill up your vehicle in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Service stations keep their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the more dense the gasoline. When it gets warmer, the gasoline expands. When you buy in the afternoon or evening ... the gallon is not a full gallon. [2] When filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the fast mode. The common nozzle trigger has three stages: low, middle and high. In slow mode. you pump at a low speed, and thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you pump. Some hoses at the pump have a vapor return. When pumping at the fast rate, some of the gas that goes into your tank turns to vapor. These vapors are sucked back into the underground storage tank, although you paid for the gas, so you end up getting less gas for your money. [3] Fill up when your gas tank is HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is that gasoline evaporates faster than you imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof creates a zero clearance between the gas and atmospher, and minimizes evaporation. Your vehicle does not have this floating roof. The more gas you have in your tank, the less air and less evaporation. [4] Finally, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up. The gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered. You might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom, which will hurt the performance of your vehicle's engine and cost you money. Original Post: March 20, 2008 Ethanol Myths and Facts 5.19.06 Source: Business Week Online Oil Facts 4.16.08 Source: CNN Online The Spin on Tires 5.3.08 Source: LA Times Online |
