Make That Tank of Gas Last: How to boost your MPGs
Make That Tank of Gas Last: How to Boost Your MPGsIt’s no secret that the price of gas is exorbitantly expensive right now. Although the cost per gallon is finally starting to decline, fuel is still far pricier than it was in past years. Outside of hanging up your car keys for good, how can you possibly keep from going broke? If you’re strapped for cash, follow these rules from your Agent, here at
NOVA Insurance Group, to make the most out of every last drop of gas. With these techniques, you could get up to 20 more miles per tank.
Be an easy rider:
Driving “gently” can help you conserve gas. If you accelerate quickly, brake suddenly and drive aggressively, you could decrease your fuel economy by up to 33%! This kind of forceful driving can add more than a dollar to each gallon when you fill up your tank.
Look 30 seconds into the future:
Pay close attention to the road. If you keep your eyes moving and continually scan the road ahead, you’ll know early on when you’ll need to brake. Some experts say you should constantly check the road that is 30 seconds ahead of your car. That’s about a block in the city or half a mile on the highway.
This allows you to plan ahead so you won’t have to make sudden aggressive maneuvers at the last minute. For example, if you see a light turning red up ahead, go ahead and start easing off your accelerator so you won’t have to make an abrupt stop at the intersection. If you slow down for long enough, the light may be green by the time you reach it, which means you won’t have to brake at all.
Give your engine a rest:
Turn off your car whenever possible. Experts say that idling for just one minute uses up more gas than turning off and then restarting your car. So, if you’re waiting at the fast food drive through or the bank for even a minute or two, go ahead and turn off your car.
Watch your speed:
Driving slow may not be fun, but it can certainly save you some gas. Cars generally reach their optimum fuel efficiency between 45 and 60 miles per hour. Once you accelerate to over 60 mph, your engine has to burn much more fuel to keep the pace.
Some studies have shown that every 5 mph increase you drive over 60 mph adds about 20 cents to your gas price tag—and that estimate is based on a $3.22 per gallon model, so it adds up to even more right now... and of course, always obey the speed limit. (
www.south-riding-insurance.com)
Keep cruising:
You can also conserve fuel by maintaining a steady speed. When used correctly, cruise control can boost fuel economy by up to 14% on the highway. This is because every tiny pressure change you make to your accelerator—even slight changes that aren’t registered by your speedometer—can burn up more gas.
If you maintain a precise speed with cruise control, you’ll avoid these small accelerator movements and save more gas. However, cruise control won’t work if you’re sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. In heavy traffic, your constant braking and speed changes can burn up a lot of gas. If at all possible, take a route with less traffic so you can sustain a steady speed. Of course, traffic is pretty much unavoidable in many cities.
Take the most direct route:
We all know that shortest distance between any two points is a straight line. But did you know that driving in a straight line can actually save you gas? By taking the shortest and most fuel efficient route from point A to point B, you’ll burn up much less fuel. You should also drive as straight as possible on the road—if you constantly switch lanes on the highway, you’re wasting a lot of gas. When necessary, try to make smooth, gradual lane changes.
Look out for hills:
If you know you are approaching a hill in the road, build up your speed before you reach it. Try to maintain your speed as you ascend the hill by gradually accelerating. This will help you prevent full-throttle acceleration, which burns up excessive amounts of gas.
Don’t lock out overdrive:
The typical car with a four or five speed automatic transmission has overdrive as its highest gear. Overdrive allows the car to maintain steady highway speeds above 45 mph without making the engine work so hard. You should only lock out overdrive if you’re towing something and need extra torque or in other rare circumstances. However, if you want to save fuel on the highway, leave the overdrive button alone.
Consolidate trips:
Try to consolidate car trips whenever possible. For example, if you know you need to go to the grocery store and the post office, don’t split these up into two different trips. Take care of as many errands as possible in one run.
Whenever possible, walk or ride your bike, especially if you’re traveling somewhere just a couple of miles from home. Not only will this keep you healthy and fit, but it will also help you save loads in gas money.
We hope these tips were helpful. (
www.loudoun-insurance.com)
Labels: Chantilly Car Insurance, engine, fairfax-car-insurance, Gas Tank, loudoun-auto-insurance, MPG, speed
Changing Driving Habits Can Lead to Car Insurance Savings
Changing Driving Habits Can Lead to Car Insurance Savings
Most Americans are driving less in order to save money on gas. However, decreasing the time you spend in your car can actually make you eligible for another savings opportunity, paying less for your car insurance. If you’ve cut back on your driving, it’s a good idea to contact your agent.
Consumers who are making greater use of public transportation or participating in car pools should contact their insurance company, because significantly reducing the number of miles driven each week could lower the cost of their auto insurance premiums.
Many companies offer low mileage discounts to motorists who drive fewer than 7,000 miles a year. Even though each insurance company calculates rates differently, they all consider how many miles a motorist drives because the risk of an accident increases the more time you spend behind the wheel. (
http://www.loudoun-insurance.com/)
However, decreasing the risk of accidents isn’t the only benefit to driving less. The money you can potentially save on premiums is significant. A motorist who drops from the average of 15,000 miles driven per year to 8,000 miles could qualify for a 5 percent premium discount. A driver who goes from 15,000 miles per year down to 5,000 could possibly receive a 15 percent discount. Keep in mind that your insurance carrier may ask for an annual odometer reading to calculate annual mileage. (
http://www.south-riding-insurance.com/)
The Insurance Information Institute noted some other ways drivers could save on auto insurance rates. SUV and truck owners who exchange their vehicles for a more fuel-efficient car might also reduce their auto insurance costs. Premiums are generally lower for a $30,000 mid-size sedan than for a large $60,000 SUV. Besides sticker price, an insurance company will determine the coverage rate for an individual vehicle based on factors such as the cost to repair it, its overall safety record and the likelihood that it will be stolen.
Drivers can also lower their auto insurance premiums by taking a higher deductible, maintaining good credit, and dropping unnecessary coverages. If you insure your boat, RV, or motorcycle with the same company, you may qualify for an extra discount on your auto coverage. Feel free to call Khalid Umerani, Agent (NOVA Insurance Group) to discuss further.
Labels: Aldie 20105 Auto Insurance, Brambleton Car Insurance, Chantilly Auto Insurance, fairfax-car-insurance, Leesburg Auto Insurance, loudoun-auto-insurance, South Riding auto insurance
Timing Is Everything When It Comes to Car Buying
Timing Is Everything When It Comes to Car BuyingYou’ve been eyeing that new car for some time now, and finally your budget gives you the green light to go for it. So should you rush right out to the dealerships in South Riding & Chantilly (20151, 20152, 20153)? Only if you want to pay more than you should.
That’s because finding the best car deal is affected by when you purchase. For the optimum bargaining position, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the time of the month. Both the dealership and its sales personnel have to meet monthly quotas. Shopping just before the month is about to end gives you more leverage because sales figures will soon be turned in for the month. A salesperson that has a slow month will be eager to make a deal to give those figures a last minute boost.
www.loudoun-insurance.comThe second time factor that affects the deal is the season of the year. In early fall, dealerships are anticipating receiving inventories of next year’s models. To make room, they put remaining inventories of the current year’s models on sale. Typically this means taking significant markdowns so they can move the merchandise, which means big savings for you. The other seasonal advantage comes at Christmas time when shoppers are busy buying gifts, not cars. The light showroom traffic makes salespersons anxious to close the deal with a serious shopper.
Even the weather comes into play when you are trying to negotiate. Bad weather is another time when a dealer’s showroom will be empty. That leaves more time for a salesperson to try and make you happy enough to leave the lot the proud owner of a new car.
www.south-riding-insurance.comOf course, timing alone isn’t enough to put you in the driver’s seat without spending a fortune. You also need to do your homework and research prices before you set foot on any showroom floor, many of which are located in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties (Chantilly, South Riding, Ashburn, Leesburg, Sterling, Aldie, Arcola (20107), Stone Ridge & Brambleton (20148)). The Internet is the best place to find the information you need. Call us at NOVA Insurance Group (
http://www.loudoun-insurance.com/ or
http://www.south-riding-insurance.com/) for competitive insurance premiums!
There are three web sites that you can use to research the dealer cost (invoice price), and the manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP), or list price of the model you’re interested in:
1. Kelley Blue Book (
http://www.kbb.com/)
2. Edmunds (
http://www.edmunds.com/)
3. MSN Autos (
http://www.autos.msn.com/Default.aspx)
Always start your negotiations from the invoice price, not the MSRP.
You can also use Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds to find out what car buyers actually paid for the model in your region, based on your zip code, such as 20151, 20152, 20105, 20147 and 20148. When you are using these sites to research a car model, don’t forget to use the “incentives” tab to see if the manufacturer is offering purchasers any kind of rebate. You can also find a full list of rebates on MSN Autos by logging on to
http://autos.msn.com/home/rebates_all.aspx.
Labels: fairfax-auto-insurance, fairfax-car-insurance, loudoun-auto-insurance, loudoun-car-insurance, south-riding-auto-insurance, south-riding-car-insurance
