Consumers can drive the oil truck

Consumers have the power to react and influence markets, and they could lower annual consumption through voluntary conservation. Simply choosing a more fuel-efficient car, for example, would save money with every fill-up and would encourage the development and production of more-efficient vehicles.

About 17 million new vehicles are sold each year. What if consumers cinched their belts and focused on buying a vehicle that achieved just one more mile per gallon? Based on 15,000 miles per year and 24.1 mpg (the survey average), that slight increase would save about 25 gallons a year per owner. But across 17 million vehicles, that would save 421,600,000 gallons a year.

Now, what if every licensed driver could conserve just one gallon a month? For many, that savings could be accomplished by simply combing a couple errands just once a month. As a result, the nation would reduce gasoline consumption by about 2,400,000,000 gallons per year. Each measure adds up. Small individual compromises can lead to big changes nationwide.

Federal energy policy continues to be debated in Washington. On the table are proposals to make cars and trucks more fuel efficient and to increase the production of alternative fuels. While the policymakers fight it out, consumers have real power to help control America’s energy needs right now with their actions and dollars.

Learn about how today’s gas prices are impacting the American car buyer in the Consumer Reports Auto Pulse survey on gas prices. We’ll play out more “What if” scenarios in a future blog.

--Jeff Bartlett

Comments

[Dave]

Freedom to live not close to work place comes at a price: more driving time, more gas consumption, more road traffic.

One can consider the price of high gas as a tax on encouraging people to live close to work.

[Janice]

Dave is right that the freedom to live farther away from one's workplace does come at a price. However there is never anywhere I would choose to live within miles of a city!! Too much noise, crime, traffic, concrete, un-supervised kids, and pollution for me. Give me the peace and quiet, solitude, privacy, and wildlife, trees and nature anyday!! This is what we work for: to be able to enjoy life! Our place is a National Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Habitat on a non-motorboat lake where we can canoe. It is well-worth the extra we spend on gas to live here and help preserve it for future generations and wildlife.
I do think the idea of planned communities is a great idea. Too bad they didn't start building them 100's of years ago!! Europe has been doing that for hundreds & hundreds of years! In planned communites the towns are more inviting, self-contained and have green spaces, too, more like villages.
We wish my hubby's co. where he works would make it easier for workers to carpool or take the bus, but it is impossible, due to different start and stop times, etc. Frustrating, as we have 7 employees that live within walking distance of each other here in our little community and they'd really benefit from carpooling.
I have cut back on my driving and combine trips and probably drive 1/4 what I used to drive with my car. We sold our RV. We sold our other vehicles and got ones that get better gas mileage. I often carpool with neighbors to go shopping, to meetings, social events, and, when it is convenient, when volunteering, too.
We change our oil at 7,000 miles instead of 3,500 miles. I bought a tire pressure gauge that is small and magnetic and keep it on my transmission shifter to remind me to check it often. I have made it a challenge to try to get the best gas mileage my car can get: I can, by being vigilant, yet still driving the speed limit, get an extra 4 to 5 mpg out of my car!!
Just think what we could save if the gov't. would lower the speed limits on the freeways!! Plus how many lives would be saved. I'd support lowering the freeway speed limits to 50mph.
Another thing that surprises me is that my 1995 car gets the same gas mileage as one that is the same model & 13 years newer gets!! Yet I know my car is much heavier than the newer models!! Explain that to me!! I was shocked to learn that! I think car companies are not trying hard enough to improve gas mileage and come up with alternatives! I'll keep my 1995, until they make one that gets a lot better gas mileage!!
We could learn a lot by looking at what other countries are doing. Germany has solar panels on barns and sheds galore!! Wind power is being used much more in European countries. You do not see any big RV's in Europe!! Large RV's are not even allowed in most big cities in Europe. You see lots of electric cars and tiny SmartCars there, too. No big 4X4 pickup trucks or SUVs there! Tiny pickup trucks & 3-wheeled pickup trucks is all you see there.

[Truck Bed Covers]

I usually run errands - 3 or 4 - at a time once a week. This saves alot of gas over the long run.