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Gas prices across the United States are skyrocketing. This troubling trend in the United States is occurring based on a few key events in international politics that will continue to impact consumers at the pump in the near term. The intention of this article is to inform readers not only why they are seeing increased prices at the pump, but also what they can do about it in order to increase fuel economy during these times.
Background:
Major ongoing events in terms of international politics have impacted the flow of oil from the Middle East to Europe and the United States. This section is intended to provide a brief summary of the key events that have taken place.
Starting last December 2010, protests in Tunisia resulted in the ousting of the Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This event marked the advent of several subsequent and ongoing protests in the Middle East that have inevitably disrupted the flow of oil from the Middle East. The unrest has spread to countries including but not limited to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Bahrain, Iran, Oman, Syria, and Yemen.
Last January, one of the most shining examples of the power of civil disobedience took place on the streets of Cairo, leading to the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years of rule. Due to the stalwart resolution of the Egyptian people throughout the demonstrations of force on the part of the Egyptian ruling party, the coup was successful, and the Egyptian people are in the process of revising their constitution toward democratic principles.
Additionally, in Libya, similar events are occurring as the Libyans attempt to oust Moammar Qaddafi who has been in power since 1967.
While these developments in terms of international politics are encouraging, the events represent the catalyst for the high gas prices American consumers currently face. In addition, the United States Department of Energy recently came out with a report indicating a drop in fuel supplies, largely on the basis that the US economy is recovering, and therefore demand in fuel is increasing across the board as companies expand and individual consumers have more discretionary income at their disposal.
The current supply has dropped by roughly 2.32 million barrels to 357 million barrels per day in the past few weeks. With production down in the Middle East countries embroiled in conflict, other countries are attempting to fill the gap in the market; however, this is not a reason consumers should expect gas prices to go down soon. The reserves that will come on to the market in the near future are largely low quality 'sour' crude, instead of the high quality 'sweet' crude that Libya in particular supplied a significant amount of.
Given this background, readers should take away two major things: first, the current prices in the international system are a result of unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, and second that these events will go on for an indeterminate amount of time. Thus, because of the uncertainty in the international system and the duration of the current oil spikes experienced, it is important that consumers looking to save on gasoline change their methods for filling up at the pump.
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Tips for saving on gas:
The tips provided below are intended to apply to the broad spectrum of gas prices that are exhibited throughout the United States and do not attempt to target on specific locale.
General tips:
One of the best ways to cut down on your gas prices is to check Oil and Gas prices daily. Apart from the basic sources you can use to keep track of this information such as CNBC, Yahoo Finance, or BarChart.com, one great site to compare gas prices in your state is gasbuddy.com. This site allows you to search for the lowest price of gas based on city, state, or zip code.
Based on the research you come up with, if there is a spike in oil prices, it may be beneficial to hold off on filling up for a day or two if possible. The reason for this is simply that many times oil spikes are transitory, and some are self-correcting within a few days.
At the Pump:
First, one innovative tip in saving on gasoline is to fill up early in the morning. The rationale behind this is that when you fill up in the morning the ground temperature is still cold. This means that the 'specific gravity' of the gasoline will, as a result of the temperature, be denser than at other times of the day, and thus you will get more gasoline for your money.
Second, resist the temptation to squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to the 'fast mode.' Normal gas pumps typically have three different settings ranging from low, to middle, and high. The rationale behind this is that if you pump at the quickest pace, it is more likely to create vapors in your tank that essentially are recycled by the gas hose into the underground storage tank.
Third, fill up your tank when your tank is half full. The main reason for doing this is that the more gas you have in the tank, the less space you have in the gas tank occupying empty space. This is important because gasoline, given its chemical composition, evaporates very easily. The storage tank has an internal floating roof, which serves as a clearance between the gas and atmosphere that in effect minimizes evaporation.
On the Road:
First, try to keep the ride as smooth as possible. Because a car expends the most gas when accelerating, it makes sense to keep the ride as smooth as possible. In heavy traffic, many drivers are not capable of maintaining constant speed even when traffic is still moving. It is important to simply afford more distance between you and the car in front of you, and try to break as little as possible, thereby cutting down on the subsequent acceleration necessary to get your vehicle moving again, which is what cuts down most on fuel economy. In heavy traffic, if this technique is applied, drivers can get anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent better gas mileage.
Second, reduce weight in your vehicle. This tip is common sense, but many drivers forget that the weight of their vehicle directly impacts their gas mileage.
Third, close your windows. By closing your windows, you reduce drag on your vehicle, thereby making the vehicle more aerodynamic and increasing fuel efficiency.
Fourth, try drafting techniques. When driving long distance, it has been proven that if you draft behind other vehicles it can significantly improve gas mileage.
Conclusion:
While each tip can result in an increase in fuel economy, it is best to apply the tips above simultaneously to see the biggest increase in your gas mileage.
