Tips for Improving Air Quality and Saving Money

Georgia’s Clean Air Force, a partnership with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), offers these six simple tips to help improve Georgia’s air quality and save money in the process.

As summer driving season kicks off, Georgians who make minor adjustments to their driving habits can greatly reduce harmful emissions, help to improve air quality, and operate their vehicles more reliably.

“As Clean Air Month leads into the summer driving season, it is the ideal time to remind drivers to assess their driving habits and make adjustments that can help to improve the air quality in Georgia,” said Michael Odom, Mobile & Area Sources Program Manager, Georgia EPD. “A few minor tweaks can contribute to cleaner air, save drivers time and money, and prolong the lives of the vehicles they drive.”

In honor of Clean Air Month, following are six tips to help improve air quality and save money:

• Pressure Your Tires to Perform at Their Best. When it comes to fuel economy, your tires are literally where the rubber meets the road. Under-inflated tires create more drag, requiring more gas to accelerate. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.2% for every 1 psi drop in the average pressure of all tires. Plus, properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

• Don’t Idle on Idling. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, idling for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine. For every 10 minutes your engine is off, you'll prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released into the environment. And you’ll save money, too. An idling car burns anywhere from 1/5 to 7/10 of a gallon of fuel per hour. A good rule of thumb is to turn your engine off if you will be idling for 30 seconds or more.

• Car Pool to Work and School. A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Carpooling with friends or colleagues is not only an excellent way to cut down on harmful emissions, it can save you money on gas, and it can even save you time through the use of HOV lanes. If you have a shorter commute, pledge to walk or ride your bike to work once or twice a week.

• Fuel in the Cool. Twenty percent of all hydrocarbon emissions from cars come from fuel evaporation. Filling your gas tank during the hottest parts of the day – afternoon and early evening – will lead to more evaporation than filling in the morning or at night. Hot temperatures combined with gasoline fumes create harmful ground-level ozone. Also, don’t forget to snap your gas cap in place. Each year, 147 million gallons of gasoline vaporize due to loose, damaged or missing gas caps.

• Lighten Your Load. According to the EPA, fuel economy can be increased by 1 - 2 percent for every 100 pounds removed from the trunk of a vehicle. With gas prices increasing for the summer driving season, this can translate into significant fuel savings over time.

• Cruise to a Win. Fueleconomy.gov statistics show that increasing your highway cruising speed from 55 mph to 75 mph can cause as much as a 20 percent increase in fuel consumption. Driving at 55 mph instead of 65 mph can help you improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 - 15 percent.

For additional information, visit Georgia’s Clean Air Force at www.cleanairforce.com.