Gas Myths
By Jessica Floyd

Everyone wants to save gas with the price at nearly 3 dollars a gallon. But you can't believe everything you hear about how to ease the price pinch.

MYTH 1 - It's all about miles per gallon

Not exactly. MPG ratings were set back in the seventies. Now, you spend more time in traffic and you cruise at higher speeds. This means that MPG ratings can be off about 14 percent on average.

MYTH 2 - You need the best octane

When you pop your tank go with the cheapest gas. Most engines are designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline which is an octane rating of 87. And even if premium gasoline is recommended for your vehicle the Environmental Protection Agency says you can probably use lower octane without any problems.

MYTH 3 - Gas savings products help fuel efficiency

Fuel additives for your gas tank are supposed to increase gas mileage. But the E-P-A says they really don't. But one thing they can do is damage your engine--leaving you with an even heftier price to pay.

MYTH 4 - Air conditioning wastes gas

That’s only if you're traveling slower than 35 miles per hour. If you're traveling at highway speeds then you might as well turn the air on full blast and stay cool while cruising the streets.

The bottom line—gas is expensive. You just have to bite the bullet and hope you have enough money in your wallet to cover the grand total.