Get more mileage from your gas dollars
Drivers in Western Pennsylvania are beginning to feel the impact of a conflict over 6,000 miles away.
Since the Iran War began a little over a week ago, critical supply chains for oil have faced sustained disruption, causing a jump of more than 45 cents per gallon of gas over that time, according to AAA statewide data.
Neither President Donald Trump nor Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have yet laid out a definitive timeline for the the end of Operation Epic Fury – the ongoing U.S. campaign to eliminate Iranian leadership and missile production capacity – so it may be several weeks until Americans can experience a relief at the pump.
Finding savings
According to AAA Director of Public Affairs Jim Garrity, there are many ways for drivers to “save pennies, which can add up to dollars over time.”
One way is to combine errands, visiting multiple stores in one trip instead of several shorter journeys throughout the week.
Lightening the amount of excess weight a vehicle is carrying is another way to improve fuel efficiency, he said.
According to Garrity, keeping up with routine maintenance like oil changes, tire pressure checks and annual inspections is another way to ensure a car is operating at peak efficiency.
Garrity said that the cost of crude oil accounts for 50 to 60% of the retail price of gasoline, so disruptions to the supply of crude oil has a direct impact on consumers.
The last time crude oil traded over $100 per barrel was in 2022 due to the start of the Russo-Ukraine war.
“It’s all eyes on crude at AAA,” he said.
Free services like GasBuddy can be a valuable resource for frugal drivers.
The website compares prices of numerous gas stations in a given region, with details about membership pricing and other amenities.
Several companies such as Sheetz and Giant Food stores offer discounts on gas per gallon through free membership reward programs.
Using public transit instead of a personal vehicle is another cost-cutting option.
Freedom Transit offers seven regular bus routes throughout Washington County, with weekday service to downtown Pittsburgh.
Additional route and ticketing information is available online at freedom-transit.org/ and the Freedom Transit mobile app.
Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation (FACT) provides fixed route bus transit plus paratransit and ride share services to Fayette County residents.
More information is available through the myStop Mobile app and online at factbus.com.
Greene County offers a limited selection of public transit options, including paratransit, ride share and medical assistance transportation.
A full list of available services is online at greenecountypa.gov.
Drive smart
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, aggressive driving practices such as speeding and hard braking can lower vehicle gas mileage by about 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.
Sensible driving is safer driving, according to the department’s Gas Mileage Tips webpage.
Employing cruise control settings while highway driving will help save gas in most cases, according to the department.
“Speeding means you are statistically more likely to get into an accident, and you won’t get to your destination much quicker anyway,” Garrity said.
AAA research has found that every 5 mph driven over 50 mph accounts for an “exponential” decrease in overall fuel efficiency.