Because oil prices have skyrocketed, filling up at the gas tank is very expensive today. Unfortunately, we do not have control over the oil companies and the politics involved. Everyone must take steps to consider how they are going to conserve on fuel for their vehicles.
- Consider car-pooling, not just for driving to work and school, but for everyone’s activities
- Combine errands and map out your route using Internet mapping services, such as www.mapquest.com to avoid wasting gas.
- Shop the Internet, when possible, to cut down on driving; look for services that provide free shipping.
- Driving at moderate speeds uses less gas (you may also save on a speeding ticket)
- Do not sit and idle for periods - it is better to turn off the engine and restart the car.
- Do not use the drive-through windows, park the car instead.
- Remove excess weight from your car; extra weight burns gas
It also helps to save in other areas, such as utilities, to help adjust to the rising costs of filling up at the gas tank. There are many ways of saving on utilities and here are a few to consider.
- Use cold water when running laundry to avoid higher costs with your water heater. Most of the time, you can wash your clothes just as effectively.
- Run the dishwasher on a shorter cycle when possible and only run when full of dishes. In the interim, you can just run a rinse cycle if necessary to help remove food particles.
- Close the house early before the heat of the day sets in to keep air-conditioning/cooling costs down. In addition, it is helpful to close window coverings to keep the heat and costs down, particularly if you are going to be at work or away from your residence.
- Keep windows and doors closed when the air-conditioner/cooling system is running.
- If your appliances are old, such as your washer and dryer, considering buying the newer energy-saving machines. It may seem expensive at first, but in the long term, it could save you more.
Saving Water = saving dollars. No one wants a large water bill and taking just a few important steps can mean lowering the water bill.
- Report ANY running water that you find around your residence to your property manager, such as leaking toilets, faucets, or broken sprinkler/irrigation system. This means water loss, which will definitely affect your water bill.
- Watch how much water you use. Avoid prolonged personal water usage, such as long showers or running the faucet unnecessarily while brushing your teeth.
- Use water saving cycles on dishwashers and run full dishwasher loads.
- Program the washing machine for only the amount necessary.
- It is important to water plants during the warm months but avoid over watering. Drowning a plant is not effective; it is wasteful and just adds to your water bill.
Search the Internet - search “save on gasoline,” “save on cleaning products,” and “save on utilities” and you will find many sites to give you ideas on how to conserve on gas consumption and utilities to save money to help you adjust to the rising oil prices
