In the past month, American citizens have seen a record increase in gas prices all over the country. Unfortunately, the rise in price of this necessity has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. With President Biden’s recent announcement of a ban on Russian oil imports, Americans will see the effects of this at the gas pumps. Although Russian oil only makes up a small part of U.S. imports, this ban will cut into the current supplies and push gasoline prices higher. 

As the annual inflation rate has climbed to 7.5% since the previous year, this has resulted in many Americans seeing their paycheck not go as far as it has in the past. With the rising costs of food, electricity, and housing, it’s important to find ways to save where you can. Learn more here about how to get the most out of your gas moving forward.

 

  • Use Apps and Websites to Check Prices: Websites and apps, such as GasBuddy, can show the prices of local gas stations and make it easier to find the best prices near you. In most cases, gas stations that are set off of major highways and away from busy city centers have better prices. Also, warehouse stores such as Costco, offer special discounted gas prices for members.

 

  • Check Tire Pressure: On average, tires lose about 1 psi per month. If your tires are not filled to the recommended amount, it can ultimately affect your car’s performance, tire longevity, and fuel use. Most newer cars will alert when tire pressure is low and needs to be refilled.

 

  • Limit the Use of AC: Using air conditioning does in fact use up your gas. In mild weather, roll the window down instead of using your AC to preserve gas. But once it gets hotter, try to start at a lower level and increase gradually to a comfortable temperature instead of automatically turning the AC all the way up.


  • Minimize Travel: One sure way to reduce your gas costs is to use less of it. Condense your errands into one trip in one day or invest in delivery services for items such as groceries and medication. In addition to limiting your gas use, you’re also contributing less to air pollution.


  • Drive smoothly and evenly: Avoid gas guzzling movements such as frequent lane changes, as well as sudden acceleration and deceleration. The harder you accelerate, the more fuel you end up using. Sudden braking wastes fuel as it takes more gas to get you back up to speed with the flow of traffic and is also a major cause of car accidents. To avoid this, maintain a smooth flow with the traffic around you, as this not only reduces your fuel use but extends the life of your transmission, tires, and brakes.

 

Due to the conflict and potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector, gas prices have continued to rise over the past few weeks. Because of how unpredictable this situation is, motorists need to be more mindful when it comes to everyday travel. Especially people who are in the market for a new car and are prioritizing fuel usage as a deciding factor. Now is as good a time as ever to put driving strategies in motion to avoid unnecessary extra gas costs.