GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Prices at the pump skyrocketed Wednesday, going from $4.09 a gallon during the day to as high as $4.30 a gallon by the evening.
Fernando Monarres says he spent $80 on just three quarters of a tank on Wednesday. If prices stay this high, he expects to spend between $450 and $500 on gas this month.
“It’s like nowadays, you gotta pay rent twice,” Monarres says.
Here are some tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your fuel:
- Make sure your tires are properly and fully inflated. Correct tire pressure decreases any drag your engine has to fight.
- Don’t carry items that you don’t need (i.e., golf clubs in the trunk.) Every extra 100 pounds of weight in your car decreases fuel efficiency by one to two percent. Cars are only designed to operate efficiently with an extra 300 pounds of passenger and cargo weight in them.
- Limit the use of your air conditioner. It can affect your fuel efficiency from five to 25 percent.
The U.S. Department of Energy has a list of other factors that affect fuel economy here.
