Reply #31: It's only for 3 months. [View All]

and it's $.18 per gallon.

Assume you drive 20 miles to work and you drive a 4x4 pickup that gets 12 miles to the gallon.

40 x 5 (days) x 13 (weeks) / 12 = 216 gallons... but what the hey, you make trips on the weekends too... 300 gallons for the summer. $300 x .18 = $54

So, if you commute more than average AND you drive a gas guzzler, you will save $54 over 3 months of driving.

That's IF the oil companies reduce the pump cost by $.18 a gallon and keep it off for the summer. Experiments have shown that they don't.

I'd much rather see a longer list of long term solutions.

Start with

a) improved mileage standards and a reduction in gas guzzling trucks and cars

b) investments in green energy solutions for transportation

c) if we have to for now, more exploration for domestic oil production


And, if YOU want to save more than $54 for this summer, inflate your tires to the proper amount and wash/wax your vehicle... if you drive a truck... find 100 pounds of unneeded weight (extra tools and junk). Reduce your speed on highways to 50 mph. That adds just 4 minutes to your 20 mile commute.

Do all that and you would like save about 15 percent on your gas.

300 x .15 = 45 gallons X $3.50/gal = $157...

Now car pool and cut out the extra trips that you don't need to make... 100 gallons saved = $350.

Over the summer, you could save $450 or $150/month. Not only that, but if EVERYONE did that, the oil companies and the OPEC countries would have to reduce their prices and gas would cost significantly less. More importantly, you can KEEP doing this and save more money for the years ahead.

Sell the gas guzzler and buy a small car or hybrid that gets 35-40 miles/gallon and then you can do the math over the lifetime of the vehicle. Old lifestyle is $21,000 over 5 years in gasoline... new lifestyle is $6,500 for the same amount of driving, both assume $3.50 gas for the next 5 years... which hasn't been the pattern. Both get you to the same places on the same days.