Ways to save at the gas pump even though it's summer

Sometimes it seems that gas prices only rise and never fall. While this is not entirely true, during peak summer driving season gas prices usually are their highest.

With the goal of helping drivers save at the gas pump while helping to save the environment by driving more fuel efficiently, the Alliance to Save Energy is offering these tips:

•Maintain vehicles. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40 percent. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.

•Keep tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent and also improve safety and tire life.

•Use the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil to improve gas mileage by one to two percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "energy conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains frictionreducing additives.

•Avoid idling, which gets zero miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste even more gas while idling than cars with smaller engines.

•Obey the speed limit. It's safer and less expensive. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 miles per hour. As a rule of thumb, each five mph over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas.

•Curtail road rage and aggressive driving. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is safer, too.

•Use cruise control to help cut fuel consumption by maintaining a steady speed during highway driving.

•Don't carrying around too much excess "baggage." Pack lightly when traveling, and avoid carrying items on the vehicle's roof. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk cuts a typical car's fuel economy

by up to 2 percent.

•Combine errands into one trip to drive fewer miles, use less fuel and reduce wear and tear on the vehicle. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer, multipurpose trip when the engine is warmed-up and efficient.

•Investigate other options, such as carpooling, ridesharingpublic transportationbiking and walking

•Telecommute or stagger work hours if possible to avoid sitting in traffic and wasting gas, especially during peak rush hours.

•Motorists who own more than one vehicle should drive the one that gets better gas mileage whenever possible. For those who drive 15,000 miles a year, driving a car that gets 20 mpg rather than 30 mpg will cost $1,000 or more this year.

•Buying, leasing or renting a vehicle? Select a model that gets better fuel economy. For information on fuel-efficient vehicles, visit the website www.fueleconomy.gov.

•Take advantage of 2007 federal income tax credits or increase a tax refund by $250 to $3,400 for purchases of hybridelectric or diesel vehicles. Amounts are based on the vehicle's efficiency and fuel savings.

For more information about saving energy in your home, office or car, visit www.ase.org.

This story is provided by State Point Media.