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Fuel prices are the common denominator of our mobile culture. They ripple through the entire economy, and especially the travel economy; if you got to move, you got to have fuel.
As the price of crude eases back from an all-time high of over $42/barrel last week, airlines are experimenting heavily with fuel surcharges, upstart car rental companies are looking for a way into a crowded market by using hybrid vehicles, and road warriors from commuters to RVers are taking a hard look at their fuel budgets.
The Price at the Pump
Back in Mid-May, prices at the pump climbed at a rate of one cent/day for a solid two weeks, sending prices up 30-40 cents/gallon nationwide in a very short period of time - that's nearly couple cents/mile for most cars, or around $10/tank.
As of June 5, the national average at the pump was $2.05 gallon - that's 57.8 cents higher than the same week last year.
And if the national average is a little too broad a net to cast when trying to figure out gas prices for your trip to the Catskills to hear some 50 year old punchlines, you won't do much better locally; with local prices at stations just a few miles apart varying as much as 40 cents.
Current indicators show that prices may drop by as much as 10 cents/gallon by July, but $1.95/gallon still makes for a pricey trip to the pump.
See state by state averages.
Local Knowledge
You can save money simply by knowing the price of gas where you are traveling.
In my own neighborhood, I've seen gas prices fluctuate by 20 cents/gallon a few miles apart, and 10 cents/gallon on the same corner. I hadn't filled up my tank for a few weeks recently, so didn't really know what a gallon cost in the area; I drove past a station selling gas at $1.90; the next was $1.93, the next $1.98, and the next $2.08. When pulling into the wrong gas station could cost you $3-4/tank, it's worth knowing the local market price.
A small but growing cottage industry of mostly Web-based gas station price spotters has sprouted this year (see below), and radio stations in high-price regions like California have also added pricing reports to their traffic reports.
Here are a few good resources to help you figure out what petrol is going to cost - I checked these against prices in my hometown, and the prices that were listed were spot on.
Gaspricewatch.com
Gasbuddy.com
More state-by-state averages
And if you need help with the math: AAA fuel cost calculator.
Car Rentals
Over the Memorial Day weekend in California, the cost to have the rental company refuel your car upon return was along the lines of London self-service: $5.80/gallon. However, the cost per gallon if you bought a full tank prepaid at the counter ($2.16) was lower than that of the gas stations near the airport ($2.27). Refueling yourself is usually your best option, but if you can return it stone empty, you might as well buy the tank.
Making a good guess as to whether you'll use the whole tank can be tricky with a car you know nothing about. I recently rented an economy car that had ridiculously good fuel economy and an 11 gallon tank - after driving all weekend, it cost me only $8 to fill it at a station near the airport. Checking the size of the gas tank on your rental car might help here, although that might be more than any reasonable traveler could be asked to do; I'd rather forfeit $8-10 than have to memorize rental car gas tank sizes.
When renting cars:
Understand the company's refueling policy; already high refueling rates will be pushing even higher, and you may save considerably by refilling the tank yourself.
If you are sure you can return the tank empty, "buying" a tank from the rental company is probably your best option.
If you will not return the tank empty, refuel the car yourself.
When traveling alone or in small groups, rent smaller, more fuel efficient cars.
If you are going to be logging lots of miles on your rental, consider renting a hybrid car; if you are traveling on the west coast, where gas prices are astronomically high, a company called EV Rental is now renting these.
Not Just Stateside
Gasoline prices overseas make even US prices seem affordable; in Great Britain, for example, the average price of gallon of gas was $5.79/gallon last week. In Holland, gas went for 1.25 ($1.53) euros per liter; there are just under four liters in a gallon. Prices in Belgium, France, and Italy were a bit lower, but still over $5/gallon.
Tips for Fuel Economy
The conventional wisdom on fuel economy doesn't always line up with the facts. The following question was posed on the Car Talk radio show last week:
For highway driving, is it more fuel efficient to keep your windows closed, and turn on the air conditioner, or keep your windows open, and turn off the AC?
Answer: Due to added wind resistance on a fast-moving car, windows up with the AC on is more fuel efficient. Of course, this is not true when sitting at a red light, but once you're on the highway, AC equals economy.
Some advice you can count on:
Accelerate and decelerate gradually. Gunning the gas and braking hard can reduce your gas mileage by anywhere from 5-33%. Driving "sensibly" saves money.
Cruise control usually increases gas mileage. Even if you don't use cruise control, maintaining steady speed most often increases fuel economy.
60mph is the target velocity. Stats say that every five miles over 60mph cost you an extra 10 cents or so per gallon used.
Turn it off. Idling for more than a couple minutes wastes more gas than does restarting the vehicle. If the line at the In-N-Out Burger is more than a few cars long, park it and go inside. It's worth it to check out the scene; why travel at all if you're just tooling from one drive-through to another?
Maintenance:
- Keep your car tuned up. If your car is sufficiently out of whack, you could be burning up to 40% more fuel than a well-tuned car.
- Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires can reduce fuel economy by up to 3%.
- Change your air filter. A dirty air filter can reduce fuel economy by up to 10%. This must be the easiest 20 cents/gallon you'll ever save.
Fuel prices are expected to ease down as the summer progresses, but given the volatile market for crude oil, which is as at least as dependent on politics as it is on pure economics of supply and demand, giving some thought to how we get around may be an essential survival skill for every traveler.
To discuss this and other Traveler's Ed articles, visit the Traveler's Ed Message Board.
Go Anyway,
Ed Hewitt
TravelersEd@aol.com
Features Editor
The Independent Traveler
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Written: 06/08/04
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