With the national average gas price still well above $4 a gallon, more Americans on a budget are searching for ways to make their money go further. One popular way, as reported by Fox Business, is to pick a more cost-efficient fuel type. Advocates for this approach note that higher octane fuel is much more expensive than other types. Citing information from AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross, Fox writes that “premium-grade gas is the most expensive because it’s a higher octane fuel, which costs more to refine.”

“However, even though premium might sound better, it isn’t actually doing some drivers any favors,” Fox’s continues. Gross goes on to note that if an owner’s manual doesn’t specifically state that one needs premium fuel for the vehicle, then it’s probably a good bet to stay away from that costly option.

“If your car can run just fine on regular gas, you’re not helping it out, and you’re just costing yourself money,” Gross says. 

Becoming a ‘Hypermiler’

Another way to save big at the pump is to become a “hypermiler,” or someone who takes fuel economy to extreme levels.

Per KMGH-TV in Denver, Bosco Engels claims his Prius is able to get fifty or sixty miles per gallon—sometimes even more. He says that he saves 10 percent at gas stations by avoiding “jackrabbit starts,” anticipating red lights and stop signs, and slowing down in advance. “The best thing is to not accelerate fast, and to anticipate your braking,” he told the news station.

Drive the Speed Limit

Engels’ other secret is always driving the speed limit. “Every 5 miles an hour over 70, you are going to get 5 to 10 percent less gas mileage,” he said.

According to Dana George at the Motley Fool, there appears to be real science to Engels’ claims. Citing data from the U.S. Department of Energy, every “5 miles per hour you drive over 50 equates to paying about an additional $0.30 per gallon.”

She notes that going ten miles per hour over the speed limit translates into paying around $0.60 more for every gallon of gas. “While every vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed, average gas mileage decreases rapidly once speeds reach more than 50 mph,” she continues.

George offers up another piece of advice that most drivers are guilty of violating: don’t idle. “As drivers, we idle more than we might imagine,” she contends.

“We idle at stoplights and in line at the bank, coffee shop, or pharmacy. We idle when we’re waiting for kids to get out of school and at crosswalks. It all adds up. For every hour we idle, we use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel,” she concludes.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters.