Fuel Saving Tips to Manage the High Gas Prices

As a girl, trying to make it in life, I wake up every morning and prepare to go out there and make ends meet and my dreams come true.

I usually wake at 5:30am so I can be on the road by 6am trying to get to work through the crazy traffic but lately, I get to work within 30minutes for a journey that used to take an hour or so.

I noticed there is no jam on the road lately because of the fuel prices that are shooting up daily. This has led to many people parking their cars and opting for public means such as taxis or Boda bodas with others hitching neighbors and workmates cars. Whereas this could be a good short term solution, it is not sustainable in the long run.

For those of us who cannot afford to move without our cars for one reason or another, here are a few things you can do to control your fuel consumption;

Avoid roads with traffic

We all know a place or two that always have traffic for some reason. Try as much as you can to avoid such places or plan your journey earlier if you know a specific time that traffic gets intense.

Drive within the speed limit

Many drivers do not connect their vehicle’s gas mileage to their driving practices. Always drive at the right speed limit, especially on highways. 70km/hr. is fair enough on highways. Also maintain a steady regulation of speed. Don’t not jump from 40 to 80km/hr.

Drive your car in the right gears

For manual cars, drive in gears 4,5, and 6 because these gears consume less fuel more than one who drives in 1,2 and 3. The lower the gear, the more power the car has, the more fuel it consumes.

Keep up with general maintenance

Always do routine maintenance. Change your oil and oil filter as suggested in your owner’s manual, have your tires rotated and properly aligned, keep your tires properly inflated, and regularly replace parts such as air filters and spark plugs.

Turn off the air conditioning

Try as much as you can to turn off the AC to save your fuel.

One should also avoid idling for long, revving and holding the gear for too long to save on fuel consumption.

As we wait for fuel prices to stabilize, we can make small adjustments to reduce the on our financial burden.

The writer is a businesswoman who works in the Central Business District.