Tips to save as gas prices hit another record high

The dollars-and-cents counter on the gas pump seems to be spinning faster these days with U.S. prices hitting another record high on Tuesday.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded hit $4.37, according to AAA, 17 cents higher than just a week ago. Last year at this time it was just $2.97 per gallon.

On Long Island, the record of $4.55 set Monday was quickly eclipsed as the average price for regular gas jumped 5 cents to $4.60 a gallon on Tuesday.  Prices at stations in Oceanside ranged from $4.36 at Costco up to $4.75 at Speedway, while a Shell station in Fort Salonga was advertising $5.49 for regular on Tuesday. 

Crude oil prices already were high, partly because many countries are refusing to buy Russian oil due to the invasion of Ukraine. And now we're heading into peak driving season and demand is up.

That means the cost to pump 15 gallons into a vehicle on Long Island now averages nearly $70. Four fill-ups per month would cost more than $275, a big chunk out of just about anyone’s budget.

With gas prices that high, owners may be thinking about replacing their older vehicles with something more efficient. But that may not be cost effective, as shortages are driving up prices for new and used cars, including electrics and hybrids.

But there are steps you can take to make an old car, truck or SUV perform better, go farther and perhaps save some money on fuel:

Make sure there’s enough air in the tires. Underinflated tires create more rolling resistance with the pavement, thereby reducing gas mileage. “Typically, your gas mileage is going to be impacted by about 5% to 10% if you don’t have proper inflation,” said David Bennett, manager of repair systems for AAA. But don’t overinflate. Doing so could cause tires to wear out more quickly.

Properly maintain your vehicle. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for oil and other fluid changes and for replacing air and other filters. Replacing spark plugs at the proper intervals can help, too.

Watch your speed. AAA says fuel economy peaks around 50 miles per hour on most vehicles, then drops as speed rises. Reducing highway speeds by 5 mph to 10 mph improves gas mileage by up to 14%.

Plan your route in advance. Try to minimize backtracking. Do multiple tasks on each trip. Avoid rush hours and other peak travel times if possible.

Don’t idle too much. An engine burns one-quarter to a half-gallon of gas per hour when idling, but a warm engine needs only around 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart, according to AAA.

Coast to stop lights. Time your travel to keep rolling and avoid unnecessary stops. Cars consume a lot of fuel to get moving from a dead stop. — with Newsday staff