As we try to be as green as possible in our daily lives, one thing we sometimes forget about is our car. I’m a mom and I drive (gulp…) an SUV!… guilty as charged, green officer!
I admittedly love it and I’m not likely to go out and buy a new car anytime soon, but I have found steps that we can take to see that we have less impact on the environment, no matter what we drive.
Use the cruise – hitting that little button can increase your mileage by 15%, simple as that.
Plan errands – at the start of every week, plan what you need to accomplish and where you need to go. Batch together the errands that are in the same area and get ‘er done, all in one fell swoop!
Maintain it – a well maintained vehicle actually saves gas and creates less pollution because it runs more efficiently.
Keep your tires properly inflated – this also affects fuel efficiency and emissions.
Use drive-thru car washes – it’s the only option during snowy winter months (unless you want to risk getting frozen to your driveway!) but car washes are more water efficient. If everyone took just one car wash over washing in your driveway it would save 8.7 billion gallons of water annually!
Clean out your trunk – all that extra stuff you’re carting around in the back (dear husband, this means YOU!) adds more weight and reduces your fuel efficiency.
Avoid idling – did you know this consumes more fuel than when you’re actually driving, so don’t warm your car for 15minutes and shut it off when you can. Skip drive-thrus… they’re an “idle nightmare”, and (contrary to belief) restarting it does NOT use more gas.
Keep speed steady and stop flooring it – this is the reason cruise control is more efficient and flooring it for just one second actually causes a burst of CO2 emissions equal to 30 minutes of normal driving.
Stay the speed limit – for every 5 mph over 60 it’s like paying 20 cents more per gallon of gas because it burns faster.
Consider telecommuting for your job once a week – if it’s possible and you never asked your employer, consider it… they may say yes! Other option, carpool with a local work pal.
If you’re looking for a new car, the EPA offers a guide to the best car choices to meet your needs. But in the meanwhile, just use the tips above to make your car greener… and don’t worry about the green paint… no one needs to look like they’re driving a brussel sprout!
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This goes along with your suggestion to plan errands, but I’ve found that weekly meal-planning saves me from having to run back and forth to the store and as a result, saves gas.
Great tips. Thanks.
Beth @ Smart Family Tipss last blog post..Budget Green (and Safe): Baby & Kid Products
Great Post. Planning errands has saved me a lot. I now make my list of all my needs and what stores I need to stop at. I hit them in a round about way that ends me at home with no back tracking. I have also found that since I stopped eating at fast food places I no longer sit in a drive through with the motor running. Guess if you had to stop at McDonalds, etc. running in would save you the most.
Beth – I do the exact same thing. Most of the time I get away with one grocery store trip a week…that’s it!
shari – That’s the best way to do it! And I was surprised to learn that idling is actually worse than driving. There was just a report on the news about utility workers leaving trucks RUNNING while they went in somewhere and had lunch, so the truck would stay warm!… are they serious?! They had one clocked at an hour and 10 minutes!!! Can you imagine all of the CO2 emissions!!!
Thanks for the helpful tips. I actually use cruise control a lot because I can see a better mileage return on my prius dashboard. I have to warn my husband about idling because he just loves to warm the car before using it.
Those are great tips, I know in my mid size car doing 70 or 75 down the turnpike makes a big difference in how much gas gets used up. I always use cruise control when traveling by freeway, I think it also makes the trip more relaxing.
And Jim, empty the trunk…and take out the trash…empty the dishwasher
Mom Time – yes! Idling is bad, bad, bad!
Matt – well, I’m going to be on the lookout for you on the Turnpike next time, speed demon!
Especially when you’re relaxing and “snoozing!” And yes, getting that trunk cleaned out of Jim’s car is going to be challenge… he uses it like a file cabinet!
[...] dioxide per passenger as an SUV produces in a month! But since we were driving our own car, we had it maintenanced before our trip (including proper inflation of the tires) and used the cruise to assure maximum [...]
[...] an SUV. No, it’s not the greenest thing on the planet, but it’s what others “see”. I do my maintenance to keep it as efficient as possible and “it is what it is”. I’m not in a position or a mind set to replace it and it doesn’t [...]
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