It’s a Crime to Be Unhealthy!

By Susan Holloway, M.S. Home Economics Child Development-Family Relations Retired Teacher of JMCSS and Madison County Extension

It is a crime to be unhealthy financially. I want us not to WASTE a very expensive resource we all need. That would be fuels for vehicles. By vehicles we mean cars, pick-up trucks, not commercial but personal. By fuels we discuss diesel, gasoline, electricity.

According to Car and Driver Magazine there are fewer improved diesel motors in vehicles of non-commercial nature in the United States but currently many are an option. There are some Chevrolets, Ford or Ram Trucks, Jeeps, Land Rovers, and even one Mazda. In European countries over half of the vehicles for personal use are diesel motors. The Motley Fool (financial advice) conducted a study that found diesel engines were 29 percent more efficient on the highway and 24 percent more efficient in the city than gasoline engines. Diesel motors probably cost more up front and the fuel of diesel is many cents higher than gasoline unless you drive a vehicle that requires premium gasoline. Efficiency of diesel over gasoline would probably only be noticed after many miles of driving on highways.

Electricity for fuel in cars is being “pushed” by our government and a few are purchasing hybrid, electric, crossover, etc. A former student of mine is Head of Nursing in Memphis and drives there daily from Jackson. She loves her new Mustang Mach-E which is a 2021 Ford’s first all-electric crossover. She has always loved a Mustang and I agree the car looks very appealing. She had an electrician install a charging station in her garage. The car charges every evening. When she drives to Memphis and returns, she has 80 miles of “fuel” or “power” left. Her payments are higher, but only half as much as she was spending on gasoline. She used tax credits and incentives. I tell her to save up for big expenses later – could be very expensive battery and tire replacements. I am one of those people who question the ability of the United States grid to supply the increased need for electricity if we all save fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, propane, etc.) by driving electric vehicles.

We cannot leave a discussion of conservation with- out discussing habits that cause waste. If you drive a gasoline powered car or truck, the first choice is NOT to choose a premium only fuel vehicle. In other words, make conservative choices in the beginning. A lot of the other conservation measures are habits. The U. S. Department of Energy states fuel conservation depends heavily on how we drive. Driving to save of fuel use would be:

Slow – Every 5 mph driven over 50 mph adds $.20 to each gallon of gas being used. Reducing speed by 5 to 10 mph increasing fuel efficiency by 7%-14%. Slowing down by 10% uses 27% less power from the engine. However it is said, slower uses less!!

Cruise Control – Use one or drive like one! Best if accelerating and braking is done gently and gradually, speed limit is obeyed, and read the road ahead as many sensors on vehicles do today. Removing foot pressure from accelerator uses 0 fuel but flooring it uses MAX amount of fuel.

Maintenance – Clean air filters, fresh and good quality oils, proper pounds of pressure and proper alignment of tires makes driving easier on the engine. Under inflated is the worse use of fuel. Load – Offload any unnecessary items to reduce the fuel consumption of your vehicle. A rooftop cargo carrier could increase your fuel use as much as 25% if you travel 65-75 mph because of the drag increase. Open windows can lower fuel consumption by about 10% because of a “drag”. When the tailgate on a pickup is raised a bubble of air is created in the bed and reduces drag at highway speeds.

Price – Shop around for the lowest prices of fuel. Take into consideration any membership fees or miles you must drive to visit them. There are BIG differences in prices today!

Air Conditioner – Run the AC only when the outside air is too hot. Park in the shade to save stress on the engine as it cools. Set temperature of AC warmer than too cold. The air conditioner is one of the heaviest pulls on engine and fuel.

Timing – Always encourage carpooling and trips when the least congestion of traffic causes idling of engine because the worst mileage a vehicle can get is 0 mpg (during idling). Stopping the engine rather than idling for a long time is smart. Restarting an engine uses about the same amount of gas as idling for 30 seconds.

How can we conserve (lower) the amount of gasoline and diesel we use in vehicles for our transportation? Maybe buy an electric car?? Maybe change our habits with the vehicles we have now? Remember to Waste Not, Want Not during 2023. Changes in habits are the key behaviors to being conservative.