Enjoy
beautiful Franklin County and Pennsylvania—stay and play close to home!
The
following is from the USAToday.com article titled: For
drivers, shock to subtle shifts published August 16, 2005 Click
to read the entire article
TIPS
TO SAVE ON GASOLINE
Gasoline costs are crimping everybody's budget. Some things you
can do to save money:
1.
Shop for a lower price. Go to www.gasbuddy.com to check on the
cheapest gas prices near you.
2.
Use lower octane. If your car is made to run on regular, you're
wasting money buying higher-octane gas. Even if higher octane is
recommended, your vehicle almost certainly will run without harm
on lower-octane gas. But if your engine pings, knocks or rattles,
it needs higher-octane fuel.
3.
Don't buy gas with ethanol. Ethanol, which is
alcohol made from corn, can help reduce pollution. But ethanol
contains only about two-thirds the energy of gasoline. Mixing
ethanol with gas forces you to use more to go the same distance.
4.
Check your tires. Underinflated tires take more energy to turn,
wasting fuel. Check them when they're cold using a dial-type
gauge, not unreliable pencil-style gauges. The right inflation
pressure is listed in the owner's manual or on a label on the
driver's doorjamb. Do not use the pressure printed on the sidewall
of the tire. That's how much the tire will safely hold and has no
connection to how much should be in the tire for routine use.
5.
Get a tune-up. Make sure you have changed spark plugs and filters
according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Ignore devices or
chemical formulas promising big gains in fuel economy. Most don't
work.
6.
Avoid short trips. An engine uses more fuel when cold than when
warmed up. Combine errands so you'll be driving a warmed-up
engine.
7.
Drive gently. Hard acceleration uses a lot of gas.
8.
Drive something else. Scooters are hip and give you 60 to 80 mpg
depending on the model and how you ride. Regular motorcycles also
use less fuel than cars and trucks do. Gas-electric hybrids
combine fuel-sipping gas engines and electric motors to deliver 50
mpg or so, varying by model and use. Buy it this year and you get
a $2,000 federal tax deduction.
9.
Don't drive at all. See if it's possible to telecommute, walk,
bicycle, car pool or take mass transit.
10.
Do some homework. The federal government's www.fueleconomy.gov
gives mileage ratings for cars and light trucks and allows you to
build a comparison chart. To calculate the estimated fuel cost for
a trip, go to www.fuelcostcalculator.com.