Ron Cogan Gives Advice on Quick Ways to Cut Your Gas Bill

According to Ron Cogan’s article “5 Quick Ways to Cut Your Gas Bill” at greencar.com, he says that many are asking when this [high gas prices] will end.  Cogan adds that some consumers get mad, while others “suck it up and just pay the price, figuring it will go away.”  Cogan bluntly adds, “[i]t wont.”  Then he asks the question: “But what can you do about it?”

I agree with Cogan that the gas price problem won’t go away.  In fact, I’d take it a step further and add that it will get worse.  I’m not trying to paint a bleak and negative financial future, but if experts are correct in predicting $7 per gallon gas prices, then Cogan’s advice should be taken with all seriousness.  Here’s a basic summary of his article’s 5 ways to cut your gas bill: 

1. Don’t drive as much.
2. Ease off the pedal.
3. Resist the need for speed temptation.
4. Avoid mid-grade or premium fuel unless necessary.
5. Check tire pressure and maintain recommended PSI.

All of these ways except for #4 result in using less fuel which results in cutting your gas bill.  #4 cuts your bill only if you do not have a high-performance vehicle, or a vehicle that requires a higher octane fuel (i.e. 89, 91, etc.).  But this distinction between #4 and the others speaks volumes to toward solving a deeper issue – the vehicle you drive.

If two separate people followed Cogan’s advice to the tee in exactly the same manner, we would expect to have identical gas bill cuts.  But this would only happen if the two experiments were with identical vehicles, number of passengers, etc.  But if person #1 drove a 1999 Toyota Camry V6LE and the other a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 2WD, the degree of savings would be affected by the degree of difference in fuel consumption and efficiency of each respective vehicle.  Bottom line, the Suburban would be more expensive to maintain than the Camry because the Suburban gets 12 miles per gallon while the Camry gets 22 (guess-timation).

So to further enhance the wealth of wisdom in Cogan’s excellent article, I would suggest that *if* you drive a “gas hog,” consider trading it in and leasing or purchasing a much more economical and fuel-efficient vehicle.  The intention of this article is not to suggest a make and model, just to suggest that you seriously consider the adjustment of your driving according to Ron Cogan’s advice, and to do so in the most fuel-efficient vehicle you can get into.  After all, if those experts are right, and if gas hits $7 per gallon soon, then many of our lifestyles will require adjustments if we can’t afford to drive anywhere!

Click here to read Ron’s article.

Tags: $7 per gallon gas, fuel-efficiency, gas prices, greencar.com, Ron Cogan