US Government Fuel Economy Website
Uncle Sam Wants You … To Conserve Fuel
Did you know that the US government provides a lot of valid information about conserving fuel and saving money by doing it? The US Department of energy runs FuelEconomy.Gov, and if you haven’t visited it yet, you may be pleased that some of your tax dollars are doing something worthwhile.
You can compare the cars that are judged to get the most miles out of a gallon of gas. You can find the lowest gasoline prices in your town. And you get real tips on driving economically and finding tax credits for the things you may do to save money! Double savings, both on gasoline and taxes, are great things! Learn more about energy tax credits you may be able to qualify for.
And maybe most importantly, the DEO website presents energy news. For instance, today, it proclaims that $4 a gallon gasoline is here to stay, so if you find that credible, you may want to base your plans on it. And also find out how the DEO is funding research for hybrid cars and other fuel savings.
And of course, fuel savings, makes our world a bit greener too!
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Sell Electricity With Grid Tied Solar or Wind Power
Learn About Grid-Tied Renewable Energy
Did you know that you can actually produce your own electricity with some fairly affordable products? Not only can you cut your own electric bills, you can even earn credit towards high energy use months, and best of all, you can even sell your excess energy back to the electric company!
These products are call grid-tied because they are tied into the public utility grid. They usually rely on solar or wind power, and your choice of a product would probably depend upon where you live. A sunny southern suburban home may do better with a small, lightweight solar system. A midwestern farmer may choose to rely on high tech wind power.
Learn More About Grid-Tied Power Systems, and How You Can Benefit.
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Real Ways To Save Energy At Home
Real Ways To Lower Your Electric and Gas Bill
We have already discussed rising gasoline prices, and we’ve discussed the associated increase in groceries. However, your home utility bills are certain to spike just like gasoline prices do. In my part of the world we are just starting a long, hot summer, and that’s red alarm electricity bill time for us. Other parts of the world worry more about home heating. And of course, lighting and appliances, use energy all year long!
Of course, you can find hundreds of ways to save energy. I am listing the ways that cost very little to do.
Solar Lighting and Heating Has Arrived
OK, it is still very expensive to outfit your whole home for solar power, but many inexpensive solar powered devices are on the market. I saw very affordable solar powered outdoor lighting at my local target store, and then checked it out on EBay. Since I needed some outdoor lights for the evening, I made an order, and I’m very excited about it. The lights charge all day, and then automatically turn themselves on at dusk. They are simple to install since they do not need to be hooked up to the house’s electric system, and were a great buy.
Check out Solar Energy Products On EBay.
You can also find solar pool heaters and solar pool covers, rechargable solar flashlights, and solar battery chargers for pretty low prices now. If you aren’t quite ready to invest in a whole house solar energy system, you can start small.
Ceiling Fans for Summer and Winter
The US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is a great fan of ceiling fans, and I am working on getting them installed in every room of my house. In my own experience, they let me raise my thermostat by about 5 degrees in the summer, and still remain comfortable. They should turn counter-clockwise in the summer to pull hot air up, and they should turn clockwise in the winter to push hot air down.
Replace Your Light Bulbs as They Burn Out
Go ahead and buy a pack of the new energy efficent light bulbs and then use them to replace your burned out jurassic era bulbs. They last a lot longer, and they use up a lot less energy. Yes, they cost a bit more to start, but if you just start replacing the old glass bulbs as they go, you won’t feel it that much.
Change Filters!
Change or clean your air conditioner/furnace filters periodically. When you buy the fliter, it will usually tell you on the package how long they are expected to last. However, if you have pets, or kick up more then average dust because of construction, etc., then go ahead and change them more often. Clean filters will make your furnace and cooling system last longer, work more efficiently, and save energy!
Start Small and Save Big
Of course, remember your mom’s advice. She told you to shut off lights when you leave a room, refrain from leaving the fridge door open, and to, for goodness sake, shut the front door when you leave! Mom’s advice was still pretty good.
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Tested Gasoline Economy Tips
Gasoline Savings Ideas That Work
You can barely turn around without seeing a product or idea to help you save money on gasoline consumption. Of course the best tips is to try to limit your driving. You can limit your driving by planning the trips that you need. In other words, if you need to go to the grocery store and drop your kids off at their scouts meeting, it would be best to plan these two errands at the same time. If you work an hour away, this may be time to consider the bus or carpool.
But what can you do to limit gasoline consumption for the trips you need to make? Well Edmunds.com tested the tips, and here is what they say.
- Stop Driving Like A Maniac! Moderate driving habits can reduce fuel consumption by 37%. So if you like to put the pedal to the metal and screech to a halt, cut it out. It is not safe anyway, so c’mon!
- Slow Down. You can save 14% of your gas by driving slower, especially on long trips at highway speeds.
- Use Cruise Control when you can. Keeping a standard speed as much as possible will average a 7% gas savings.
- Avoid Excessive Idling. If you are waiting for little Jimmy in the carpool line, shut your car off. Of course, in the warm summer season it can get hot without the air. Maybe it’s time to park and get out of your car to wait.
- Tire Pressure and And A/C. Edmunds said that while these two tips are common wisdom, they did not see a lot of difference. Now you should properly inflate your tires anyway for safety, and to keep your tires longer, but you do not need to obsess about it. The great debate about A/C with windows up to reduce drag, or to shut off A/C and roll windows down has not been resolved. If you live down here in the sun belt, and are not ready to live without car air conditioning, that’s good news!
The Edmunds article is here.
Does anybody else have any fuel saving tips they want to share?
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