Pain At The Pump

Seems to be that time of year again. The temperature heats up a little and so do the gas prices. At $3 and upwards per gallon in many places, you've probably noticed the rising trend.

Luckily, there are a few truly useful websites that do their best to help you save:

Connecticut Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in CT - At time of sending this email the highest prices per gallon was $3.19 in Greenwich, and lowest $2.82 in Manchester. This site reports that just one month ago the average gas price per gallon was $2.56. And a year ago today it was a mere $2.24. Across America, be glad you're not driving in California right now, $3.25 was spotted in Humboldt, CA.
http://www.connecticutgasprices.com/

NBC30's Pump Patrol - Has a handy little Trip Calculator to help plan your travel. http://www.nbc30.com/automotive/1967816/detail.html

Fuel Economy - Help you drive more efficiently, keep your car in shape and chosing an efficient vehicle.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml

ConnecticutGasPrices.com Top Ten Fuel Saving Tips

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.
8. 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.
9. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.
10. Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

A little car humor Check out the "90 Pound Suburban Housewife Drivin' In Her SUV" A song by Fairfield county couple Suzanne Sheridan and Rozanne Gates which recently made it's debut on iTunes. http://www.90poundsuv.com/index.htm