Tips: How to save fuel and money on fuel bills

With the continuous and ever rising cost of fuel, fuel that’s a part of our everyday life, people with average income have begun to feel the pinch. The fossils fuels are anyway going to disappear in another 20-40 years and we will only be left with the option of using alternative fuels. But there is one initiative that we can take up today and make a lot of difference to our own lives. That initiative is making ourselves aware of the ways to save fuel and thus save some money that can be used for something else.

Here are some tips and tricks to save fuel. Read them, understand them and share them with others.

Top up your gas tanks every time you visit the gas station. Multiple trips to the fuel station may waste a lot of fuel depending on the distance between your home and the gas station.
Check the tire pressure at least once every month. Maintaining proper tire pressure helps get more mileage out of your vehicle.
Always drive within the speed limits and if your vehicle manufacturer suggests driving in certain speed range for better mileage, why not follow that and save some fuel?
Eliminate unnecessary trips to wherever possible. Don’t use your vehicle for visiting friends staying nearby, shopping malls etc. Walking helps you burn calories and stay fit.
Use carpooling whenever possible.
Switch off your engine if the idle time is more than 1 minute. Every 3 minutes of engine running idle, the engine burns fuel worth 1km.
Get your vehicle serviced at regular intervals. A well maintained car is more fuel efficient.
Replace the dirty air filter in your vehicle. In most cases, replacing the dirty air filters with a new or cleaned filter improves the fuel efficiency by 10%.
Change engine oil at regular intervals. Depending on the type of vehicle, dirty oil can reduce the fuel efficiency by almost 2%.
Remove the unnecessary weight from your vehicle. Still carrying those luggage racks? Time to remove them, I guess.
Ease your foot off the gas pedal at least 100 meters before the red light or the place you want to stop.
Maintain a distance of at least 20-30 feet from the vehicle in front of you. This helps you avoid using the breaks too often. When driving in the city, it helps save a lot of fuel.
Make sure that your fuel cap is in good condition. A vast majority of the old cars lose a lot of fuel due to evaporation – thanks to those damaged, cracked and worn out fuel caps.
Using the breaks in the right way can save a lot of fuel. Anticipate the driving conditions on the road and apply breaks to stop your vehicle smoothly.
Don’t use high octane fuel unless your engine recognizes it. High octane fuels are usually costlier than normal fuel. If your engine can not differentiate between a regular and a high-octane fuel, don’t buy it. Save money by using normal fuel.
At lower speeds air conditioner of your car is less efficient. Switch off air conditioner whenever you can and save up to 20% on fuel bills.
Minimize idling, an idle running engine is not giving you any mileage. It’s just burning your fuel and money for nothing.
Take mass transit or walk or use your bike that gives more mileage than you car.
Driving at constant speed gives more mileage than changing speed very often.
If you have more than one car, for long distance travel use the car that gives more mileage. I would recommend the same for city driving also, but that’s your call.
Use cruise control if your vehicle’s got one. Studies have found that cars using cruise control saves 10-14% fuel.
At lower speeds, open your windows and switch off your air conditioner. At higher speeds, close your windows and use your air conditioners.
Take the route which has less traffic. Even if a route is a few kilometers longer, use it. Use it to avoid traffic jams and red lights. Sometimes you can save a lot of fuel by using a longer route.
On highways, driving behind another vehicle can help you save fuel. Fuel is saved because of less turbulence and wind resistance your vehicle enjoys while at the same time the vehicle in front of you creates the slipstream for you. Maintain safe though. It may be unsafe if at driving at a very high speed. Don’t follow this tip if see a risk to your life.
When driving down a steep, place your gear on either neutral or drive at higher gears and easy off the gas pedal.
Don’t be fooled by those fuel saver products. Most of the fuel saver products do not work and are not recognized by government agencies. Use a product only if it’s known to not cause any side affects to engine in lieu of the increased fuel efficiency.
When using air conditioner and if your car lets you change the temperature settings, avoid using the coldest temperature. Instead, put it to medium and run the blower at higher speed.

What are your tested and proven ways of saving fuel? If you have some tips on saving fuel, please mention them in the comments section below. I will add them to the list above.