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Valley residents, businesses find ways to save as gas prices rise

There’s not doubt that everyone has been feeling the impact of these record-high gas prices.

It’s left many people scrambling to find ways to save.

Monday marked the 10th consecutive day of record high gas prices in Riverside County. A gallon of gas now averaging $6.21.

“It seems like it’s never ending, the gas prices go up every week,” said Indio resident and small business owner Rex Sylvester.

With the rapid increase in prices, people are going out of their way to save a couple of bucks when they fill up. Which includes going to gas stations with lowered prices, if you have a membership.

“I’ve got a small business. I’ve gotta fill all the trucks up with gas and stuff so it gets, it just adds up fast," Sylvester added, "Discount here and there, hey I saw it was cheaper over on the corner over there or something like that. Other than that, I don’t know any other way.”

And road trips, along with even daily commutes, have become much more costly.

“I just fill up on Sunday then I fill up again on Wednesday so I’m not completely empty I fill up on Sunday, completely empty and Wednesday I’m just halfway,” said Valley resident Richall Pittman.

The prices have pushed many drivers to plan out their trips to save some miles.

“Just little things that my husband, I say, to pick up this or I’ll tell him to get it on his way. We gotta like just make one trip doing things so if we have to go to multiple stores we will just do it all in one trip," Pittman added.

Businesses who rely on driving are also having to finding to ways to make up for the rising prices.

“Our produce is local, but it does impact the prices of produce, because they're increasing the prices, it's costing them more, it's costing us more, it's gonna cost you more,” said Co-Founder of CV Harvest Box Tony Marchese.

CV Harvest Box, who delivers fresh produce the doors of Valley residents, has even needed to adjust their own prices.

“With these gas prices at over $6, you know, our drivers, so we had to add a $5 delivery fee, which we never wanted to do. But we have to, you know, produce is going up, the boxes are going up. It's one thing after another,” Marchese said.

Some tips for better gas mileage according to AAA:

► Slow down and drive the speed limit. On the highway, aerodynamic drag causes fuel economy to drop off significantly as speeds increase above 50 mph.

► Avoid “jackrabbit” starts and hard acceleration. These actions greatly increase fuel consumption.

► Avoid prolonged idling in general. If your car will be stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine to save fuel. Many newer cars have automatic engine stop-start systems that do this.

► When driving in town, adjust your speed to “time” the traffic lights. This reduces repeated braking and acceleration that consume additional fuel.

► When approaching a red light or stop sign, take your foot off the gas early and allow your car to coast down to a slower speed until it is time to brake.

► Accelerate smoothly with light to moderate throttle. This allows the automatic transmission to upshift into higher gears sooner, reducing engine rpm and saving fuel.

► Use cruise control to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel. However, never use cruise control on slippery roads because a loss of vehicle control could result.

► If your car has a manual transmission, upshift as soon as you can without “lugging” the engine. When practical, you can also save fuel by skip-shifting – for example, going directly from first gear to third.

► Minimize your use of air conditioning. Even at highway speeds, open windows have less effect on fuel economy than the engine power required to operate the air conditioning compressor.

► Plan ahead to accomplish multiple errands in one trip, and whenever possible travel outside high-traffic times of day.

► If you own more than one car, use the most fuel efficient model that meets the needs of any given journey.

► Remove unnecessary and bulky items from your car. It takes more fuel to accelerate a heavier car, and the reduction in fuel economy is greater for small cars than larger models.


► AAA research has found that unless premium fuel is recommended or required by your car’s manufacturer, it provides no added benefit. Motorists should refer to their vehicle’s owner’s manual to check which type of gasoline is recommended for their engine.

Apps to help you save:

Get Upside

The Get Upside app can save you up to 25 cents per gallon every time you get gasoline, depending on the offers in your area.

GasBuddy

GasBuddy has several built-in features you can access to save you money on gasoline.

The app offers a free GasBuddy fuel card which can save you up to 25 cents per gallon.

CLICK HERE to use News Channel 3's free Gas Gauge to track local gas prices and find the best deal.

Article Topic Follows: News

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Samantha Lomibao

Samantha joined KESQ News Channel 3 in May 2021. Learn more about Samantha here here.

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