It's 2010. The web is allowing us to collaborate and connect with people at a rate higher than any other time in history and people are becoming more conscious about the earth with the "Green Movement". I am not an expert on green by any means but I have recently done some research on saving gas that I would like to share with you. The workshifting community tends to spend lots of time on planes and on the go in their vehicles so I thought it might be of some interest how you can lower your carbon footprint and save a bit of cash at the same time.

Gas Saving Tips:

#1 Warming Up - It is a common misconception that a vehicle needs to be warmed up for a prolonged period of time. It is really not necessary. Avoid sitting in a running car for extended periods of time and shorten your warm-up times to 30 seconds or less.

#2 Fuel When it's Cool - When fueling your vehicle try to do this during the evening or morning hours when the air is cooler. Gas is denser in cooler weather. I can't give you the science behind it but it has to do with how the pump measures the volume of gas being pumped. Less density = less gas for the same amount of volume.

#3 Don't Whine - When sitting at a stop light don't whine or rev the engine needlessly. This will open the throttle and consume more gas getting you no where.

#4 Electric or Hybrid Vehicles - These vehicles are still about 15-20% more expensive than their gas guzzling equivalents. However, it might be worth looking into if you spend a lot of time in your vehicle. The decreased emissions, cost of gas and possible tax benefits may make it well worth the investment.

#5 Maintenance - Keep your vehicle maintained. Old spark plugs, dirty filters, improperly inflated tires and old oil can cause an engine to decrease it's efficiency by 10% or more. Maintaining a vehicle will not only increase overall efficiency but help maintain resale and trade-in values as well.

#6 Stop Hauling - Don't be that person that never unloads his/her vehicle. Carrying excessive weight will decrease fuel efficiency. Unload your vehicle after shopping trips and save gas!

There are many small things you can do to improve the efficiency of your car but these seem to be the biggest gas guzzlers. Feel free to share your green workshifting tips in the comments!


Photo Credit: Sausyn