The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks,
The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and
spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."
Carbondale residents have one less thing to worry about this Fourth of July weekend - gasoline. Several Carbondale gas stations have set their gas prices at $1.28, one of the lowest rates in the nation, according to www.gasbuddy.com.
In contrast, previous summers have seen an increase in gas prices. Generally, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, two of the biggest days for travel, have had a high demand for gasoline, which increases the price per gallon because the demand is greater than the current supply.
Kim Ervin, manager of the Clark Retail station on East Walnut Street for 27 years, is not sure what the price of gas will be as the holiday weekend is approaching.
"Every morning, I go out and do a price survey of all of the local gas stations," Ervin said. "Once I have the prices, I call my supervisor and I won't know what the prices will be until she calls me back."
The national average for gas prices is $1.47; the Illinois average is $1.48; and the Carbondale average is only $1.28, according to www.gasbuddy.com.
Carbondale residents pay 31 cents less than Chicago residents, who on average pay $1.59 per gallon.
According to the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, personal vehicles alone guzzle more than 115 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel each year.
The money that consumers pay for gasoline is divided among several different entities, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Crude-oil suppliers, which determine the price of oil per barrel based on the amount they produce, receive the largest portion of the cost of gas at 37 percent. Refining crude oil accounts for about 20 percent of the cost of gasoline.
Marketing and distribution account for less than 10 percent of gas prices in the United States, while taxes, both local and federal, account for more than 25 percent of the total gas price.
The amount of competition among gas stations also has a central role in deciding the price of gasoline. In order to make a profit, gas stations are often forced to raise the price of gasoline.
With increased travel because of the holiday weekend, there are many ways for consumers to conserve gasoline.
One of the most important things that drivers should remember about maintaining a vehicle is to get regular oil changes to prevent less gas from being burned.
"All of the work that is done on the vehicles that come into our shop is done by the books," said Jeremy Summers, manager of Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Carbondale. "No two cars are taken care of in the same manner, but on average, vehicles should have their oil changed every 3,000 to 7,500 miles."
Second, drivers should only carry what is necessary in their cars because it takes more power to operate a vehicle with excess weight.
Third, cars do not need to be warmed up for an extended period of time. Most people think that it is necessary to let their cars warm up for several minutes, but modern cars warm up much faster when they are actually being driven, and less fuel is wasted.
Fourth, drivers should make sure that they have gas caps that are tightly secured because loose gas caps are more prone to fuel evaporation.
"The check engine light of newer cars will pop up if the gas cap isn't on tightly," said Ben Komnick, an instructor in SIU's automotive technology department.
Fifth, when driving on the highway, it is usually more fuel efficient to drive with the air conditioning instead of windows down.
"A lot of people have conflicting ideas about whether drivers should roll down their windows or turn on the air conditioning on the highway," Komnick said. "It takes more power to run the AC, but with the windows being down, you have to worry about wind resistance. They even themselves out. I think it's best to use the AC, especially with the weather conditions in Southern Illinois."
Sixth, drivers should lighten up on their accelerators and avoid congested roads when possible to prevent inconsistent starts and stops.
Seventh, it is best for tires to be inflated to their maximum limit. Tires that are under or over-inflated will waste fuel and wear out the tread of the tires.
Eighth, the proper gasoline should be used for the vehicle. The most expensive gasoline is not always best, and owners should check their manual to be certain.
Ninth, it is better to turn off a vehicle while waiting for someone instead of letting the vehicle sit idly. It takes just as much energy to leave your car idle for one minute as it does to start it back up.
And finally, it is important to check the car's air filters, spark plugs and even the oxygen sensors, which the engine computer uses to make sure that there is a proper mixture of fuel and air.
"Oxygen sensors are often forgotten about," Komnick said. "If a vehicle has 70,000 plus miles, it needs to get a new oxygen sensor."
Ron McClain, a technician at Midas, says that there are a lot of easy things that consumers can do to save wear and tear on their cars.
"You can go on and on about what should be checked," McClain said. " But it just comes down to proper maintenance.'
