Cars are more efficient these days. Yet American drivers still spend staggering amounts of money on gas for their cars.
The average household spent about $2,150 on gasoline in 2021. Because gas prices are volatile, the exact annual spend varies significantly from year to year, but it usually works out to between 2% and 5% of median household income. That’s a lot of money.
In rural states, where commute times are longer on average and public transportation is impractical or nonexistent, per-capita spending on gasoline tends to be higher. But it’s a big expense everywhere.
Your annual fuel bills aren’t entirely within your control. Fill-ups cost more when gas prices increase. But as a cost-conscious driver, you have considerable control over what you spend on gasoline.
How to Save Money on Gas for Your Car
The actions you can take to reduce fuel consumption and overall driving costs fall into two broad categories: driving and gas-buying habits and activities directly related to your vehicle.
Modifying Your Driving and Gas-Buying Habits
Surprisingly simple changes to your driving habits can significantly impact your overall fuel bill. To trim your fuel costs and use less gas, adopt these gas-saving practices.
1. Use a Gas-Finding App That Helps You Save Money
Gas prices can vary quite a bit over short distances, especially in border regions. Every driver — particularly those who regularly cross county and state lines — needs a fuel-finder app that surfaces the best gas deals in real time.
The best gas-finding app of the bunch is GasBuddy. It features accurate, near-real-time pricing information for tens of thousands of U.S. gas stations and boasts a handy internal payment platform that can save users up to $0.25 per gallon.
Heavy drivers can opt into GasBuddy Premium, a $9.99 monthly membership that promises up to $0.40 per gallon in savings. Read our GasBuddy review for more information.
2. Always Pay With a Gas Credit Card
If you don’t already have one, apply for a gas credit card (a rewards credit card that earns cash or points on every purchase at the gas pump) and make a habit of using it every time you fill up.
The best gas credit cards earn 3% to 4% back on eligible gasoline and EV charging purchases, though some have limits on how much you can earn in a calendar year.
If you belong to a warehouse club like Costco, definitely apply for the Costco Anywhere Visa card from Citi, a robust rewards card exclusively for Costco members. Eligible gasoline purchases earn 4% cash back (payable as Costco store credit) on the first $7,000 spent each year — a high enough limit to accommodate all but the highest-mileage drivers.
Likewise, if you prefer a particular gas station family, join its rewards program and apply for a store credit card that delivers instant savings at the pump or rewards you can redeem later. These rewards programs’ instant discounts can offer a better rate of return than general gas credit card rewards.
3. Modify Your Commute to Reduce Driving
Driving alone to work is tougher on your wallet and the environment than any other commuting method. That’s especially true if you work in a congested business district where parking is scarce and expensive.
Look into more cost-effective commuting options. Depending on where you live, how much time you have in the morning, and your physical fitness, there are several common options.
- Creating a carpool with co-workers who live near you, swapping driving responsibilities every day or week
- Public transportation, such as a municipal or regional bus or train, using a monthly pass to reduce your net cost per trip
- Biking to work
4. Work From Home Whenever Possible
The COVID-19 pandemic made clear that people can do many white-collar jobs remotely with minimal impact on productivity.
In fact, in a pandemic-year survey by Mercer (reported by the Society for Human Resource Management), the vast majority of employers found that their workers were at least as productive as before the pandemic.
So if you can do your job remotely but haven’t yet negotiated a remote work arrangement with your employer, make that a priority.
Even part-time remote work can significantly reduce your household transportation costs, and a full-time remote position could set the stage for a move to a more livable community with less traffic and more green space.
5. Plot the Most Efficient Route to Your Destination
Cars burn more fuel during acceleration than while coasting or cruising. That means the most fuel-efficient route to your destination isn’t necessarily the shortest. It’s the route that requires the least acceleration and deceleration — the one with fewer stoplights, less congestion, lower traffic volumes, or better traffic flow overall.
Find your route using a navigation app that incorporates real-time traffic data, such as Waze, or shows stoplights and other traffic control measures, such as Apple Maps or Google Maps.
6. Start and Stop Gradually
Even the most efficient route involves some stops and starts. To minimize these maneuvers’ impact on your fuel economy and cost, execute them as gently as possible.
Accelerate slowly and coast gradually to a braking stop. Don’t try to test your car’s zero-to-60 rating at every light change, and don’t make a habit of flooring it until you absolutely have to hit the brakes.
FuelEconomy.gov reports that these basic defensive driving practices can reduce fuel consumption by up to 40% in stop-and-go traffic and up to 30% on the highway.
7. Observe the Speed Limit
Vehicles optimize fuel consumption at different speeds, but fuel efficiency tends to decline rapidly above 50 mph, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
Assume that each increase of 5 mph over that threshold works out to a surcharge of $0.25 to $0.50 per gallon burned (assuming a per-gallon price of $3.50 or so).
Driving 50 mph isn’t practical or safe on the highway, of course. The best you can hope to do is drive at the speed of traffic in the slowest lane. For better or worse, that typically means observing the posted speed limit, which can range up to 75 or 80 miles per hour on the open highway
In any case, don’t waste fuel by exceeding the limit. And use cruise control to help maintain a constant, law-abiding speed. Cruise control is often gentler than human driving anyway, helping to reduce excess fuel consumption through more gradual acceleration and braking.
8. Minimize Idling Time
An idling vehicle’s fuel mileage is zero. Avoid running your car’s gas motor whenever possible while parked or waiting.
That said, idling is unavoidable in certain situations, like warming up and deicing a car on a frosty morning. But you don’t need to let your car run for 30 minutes before hopping in.
In fact, you don’t need to warm up fuel-injected cars (those built since the mid-1990s) at all, at least not for the sake of the engine, according to Cars.com.
Leave your car idling in the morning only as long as absolutely necessary to reach a comfortable interior temperature. Or keep your coat on in the car and drive off as soon as you start the engine.
9. Park Farther Away From Your Destination
U.S. motorists spend about 17 hours per year looking for parking and waste about $345 in fuel doing so, according to data from Inrix (though there are some doubts about those numbers).
One way to reduce parking-related fuel waste is to settle for parking spaces farther from your destination. That isn’t always possible in business, shopping, and entertainment districts with fewer parking spaces than cars, but it’s a good rule to live by.
Rather than drive around the block yet again in search of the perfect spot, head to a less crowded area a few blocks away and put on your walking shoes.
10. Make Longer, Less Frequent Errand Runs
Reduce your total mileage driven on errands around town by consolidating those excursions whenever possible.
Instead of hitting the grocery store today, the home improvement store tomorrow, and the post office the following day, set aside a weekend afternoon (or weekday if your work schedule allows) to get them all done at once.
11. Keep the Windows Up
You might not notice the difference daily or even monthly, but keeping your car’s windows up improves your car’s aerodynamic performance and trims your fuel bill.
If you pine for the feeling of the wind in your hair, it helps to imagine pennies rushing by your head into the gas station attendant’s hand.
12. Don’t Wait Until Your Tank Is Almost Empty to Fill Up
Waiting to fill up until you’re nearly out of gas increases the risk you’ll have to settle for a higher per-gallon price at the first station you see. For example, once my tank is three-quarters empty, I plan to fill up at the first low-cost station I encounter.
In my case, that’s usually the closest Costco gas station, where prices are reliably $0.10 to $0.25 lower per gallon than elsewhere nearby. When my travels take me in a different direction, I use GasBuddy.
13. Avoid Gas Stations Known to Charge More
You know the ones. Like clockwork, their signboards proclaim per-gallon prices $0.10, $0.20, even $0.30 higher than those a mile or so down the road.
These “premium” stations know they can charge more, whether due to a convenient location in a high-income neighborhood or because they’re the only station for minutes in any direction.
It’s in your best financial interest to avoid these expensive stations at all costs.
14. Limit Air Conditioner Use or Use the Eco Setting
Using your car’s air conditioner can reduce fuel economy by as much as 25%, according to FuelEconomy.gov. That’s especially pronounced in very hot weather, on short trips, and in hybrid-electric vehicles (which might otherwise run on batter power alone).
On pleasant days, turn off the air conditioner entirely and use the coolest non-A/C blower setting instead. When it’s too hot to go entirely without air conditioning, set your A/C to the lowest comfortable setting or use your vehicle’s eco A/C setting if it has one.
15. Reduce Excess Vehicle Weight
You probably don’t think about it daily or it would be gone by now. But all that extra junk in your vehicle’s trunk could have a noticeable impact on its fuel economy, even if you’re not carrying cinder blocks back there.
That’s especially true for front-wheel-drive vehicles, which aren’t designed to efficiently carry heavy rear axle loads.
Carve out some time to clean out your car’s trunk, removing anything you don’t regularly use. Store anything you need to keep in your garage or utility room and toss out the rest.
Choosing and Maintaining Your Vehicle
The biggest influence on your overall fuel bill is your vehicle itself. Choosing a more fuel-efficient car can reduce your gasoline costs, all other things being equal.
In the meantime, you can optimize your current vehicle for fuel efficiency by doing some basic maintenance.
16. Purchase a Hybrid or All-Electric Vehicle
When you’re ready to purchase a new or used car, look into a hybrid-electric, plug-in hybrid-electric, or all-electric vehicle. Many popular car and SUV models exist in hybrid form, including the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Sonata, and Volvo XC90.
That’s not counting hybrid- or electric-only models and model families like Toyota Prius, Honda Clarity, and Chevrolet Bolt, or entirely electric makes like Tesla.
If you buy certain plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, you may qualify for federal income tax credits as large as $7,500, significantly reducing your net cost. FuelEconomy.gov has a complete list of currently qualifying vehicles and the exact amount of the credit for each.
17. Keep Your Tires Properly Inflated
According to FuelEconomy.gov, tires inflated to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure can improve gas mileage by 0.6% on average and up to 3% in some cases.
Every pound-per-square-inch decline in pressure below the recommended level equates to a 0.2% drop in fuel efficiency.
You can likely find your vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure in your owner’s manual.
18. Use the Correct Motor Oil Blend and Fuel Grade
Simply using the motor oil blend recommended by your vehicle manufacturer (available in your owner’s manual) can boost fuel economy. So too can upgrading to a newer, more fuel-efficient motor oil type at your next oil change.
For example, upgrading from 10W-40 oil to 0W-20 oil can increase fuel efficiency by up to 3%, according to Chemical & Engineering News.
Likewise, don’t fill up with premium gas if your vehicle manufacturer doesn’t recommend it. If your car is built to handle regular unleaded, stick with regular unleaded.
19. Check Your Gas Cap Seal
If you drive an older vehicle, you might not get the courtesy of a warning light as your gas cap seal weakens and allows oxygen to leak into the gas tank, burning more gas in the process. You may only notice (or suspect) the issue when your gas mileage starts to suffer.
Fortunately, gas caps are cheap, typically retailing for under $20 at major retailers and even on Amazon. Unfortunately, many cars’ gas cap sensors don’t recognize replacement gas caps not made by the original manufacturer or an authorized supplier.
If you don’t want to drive with your fuel cap light perpetually illuminated, you must get your replacement at the dealership. You’ll pay more for that — around $90, according to Repair Pal.
20. Follow Your Car’s Recommended Maintenance Schedule
Proper vehicle maintenance improves vehicle fuel economy and reduces harmful emissions.
Keeping your vehicle’s oxygen sensor in good working order is especially important. A faulty sensor can reduce fuel economy by as much as 40%, according to FuelEconomy.gov.
Likewise, periodically replacing your air filter and spark plugs (whether on your own or during a routine auto checkup) can help your engine burn gas more efficiently.
Replacing an air filter is an easy DIY car maintenance job that should cost you no more than $40 on your own, according to Fixd.
Replacing spark plugs is a bit more difficult but still DIYable, per Family Handyman. Kelley Blue Book says to expect to pay at least $100 for professional replacement.
And simply keeping your engine tuned — a key component of manufacturer-recommended scheduled maintenance — can improve fuel economy by 4%.
Final Word
None of these fuel-saving strategies require radical lifestyle changes or inordinate sacrifice.
Other than purchasing an electric vehicle next time you’re in the market for a new car, the biggest change you’re likely to make in your pursuit of lower fuel costs is taking the bus or train to work or perhaps carpooling instead of driving a single-occupancy automobile.
Once you’ve reduced your car’s gas bill, there are even more ways to trim your driving expenses or even make money with your car.
Fiddle with your deductible and reported miles to save money on car insurance. Join a warehouse club like Sam’s Club or Costco and take advantage of discounted fuel and bulk tire pricing. Or take on a side hustle as a delivery driver for DoorDash or Instacart to turn your car into an income-producing machine.
The possibilities might not be endless, but there are plenty of them to go around.
