If you're looking for ways to minimize the costs of car ownership, you have a few reliable options. Besides shopping around for a reliable garage and finding a good deal on car insurance, you can also improve your fuel efficiency. Below are a few driving habits that can have a noticeable effect on your gas mileage.

How to Improve Fuel Economy

1. Carry Less

The more people and items are in your car, the greater the weight your vehicle is carrying. Additional weight requires the engine to exert more energy to bring the vehicle up to speed, brake, turn, and change lanes. Remove any objects you can do without, and pack lightly for trips.

2. Drive Smoothly

Your engine runs most efficiently when your speed is constant. Bursts of speed require additional fuel, so aggressive acceleration, sharp turns, hard braking, and unnecessary lane changes increase your gas consumption. As a bonus, avoiding these behaviors makes you less likely to get in an accident, keeping your car insurance costs low.

3. Maintain Your Tire Pressure

Your tires grip the road most efficiently when they are filled to the auto manufacturer's specifications. If they are too full, then the treads will expand and won’t meet the road as designed, which will lead to uneven wear. If they’re not full enough, they become too flexible, so the wheels and suspension will not be properly supported. Either way, your tires may slip when you accelerate, brake, or turn. This means your wheels will spin without moving the vehicle, wasting engine power.

4. Choose Low Rolling Resistance Tires

As tires roll, a certain amount of energy is converted to heat by friction, drag, and the change in your tire’s shape as each side touches the road and releases again. This is called rolling resistance. Advanced low rolling resistance tires minimize this effect by using advanced materials and tread designs to reduce the energy spent when the tire meets the road.

5. Turn Down the Air Conditioner

Your air conditioner draws power from your car’s alternator, so every bit of cooling power comes at the cost of engine power. Turn the AC to the lowest possible setting when you need to use it. At slow speeds, consider rolling down the windows to cool the interior, but don't try it at high speeds since open windows create drag, which can make your engine work harder and counteract the savings.

If you need a better deal on your car insurance to help you save even more than you will at the pump, contact Hummel & Plum Insurance Agency in Chillicothe, OH. Serving Ross County for 115 years, these independent insurance agents tailor your car insurance and other policies to your needs, trimming costs and maximizing coverage to fit your situation. To schedule a consultation, call (740) 773-1620 or get in touch online.