Step One - Select a single city in order to identify price trends or to identify a historical price most accurately. Select multiple cities to compare pump prices between cities.
Step Two - Selection of time duration will define how long into history the prices will be displayed. In some cities only limited price history information is available and in those cases the line will be flat for extended periods.
Step Three - When comparing US cities to Canadian cities you have a choice of price units. The standard unit of measure in the US is dollars per gallon and in Canada the standard is cents/liter. Comparison of US and Canadian cities is done using recent currency exchange rates and uses the conversion factor of 1 US gallon being equal to 3.78 liters. For simple plotting of US cities use dollars per gallon ($/G) and for simple plotting of Canadian cities use cents/liter (c/L).
1 Avoid High Speeds As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.
2 Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.
3 Keep Tires Properly Inflated Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%.
4 Use A/C Sparingly When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.
5 Keep Windows Closed Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.
6 Service Vehicle Regularly Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
7 Use Cruise Control Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas.
8 Avoid Heavy Loads Remove the sand bags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.
9 Avoid Long Idles If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.
10 Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle
