With gas prices predicted to soar this summer, it is becoming increasingly important to be as energy efficient as possible.

Jon Bockman, owner of Bockman’s Auto Care, 705 E. Lincoln Highway, said some tips to save gas include inflating tires and cleaning the car’s air filter.

Closing the gas cap is also important because gas can actually evaporate away if it’s loose, Bockman said.

Replacing spark plugs will also improve gas mileage.

“Good spark plugs that are not worn will burn better,” Bockman said.

There are also many gas-saving myths.

Bockman said he has heard of people putting clothes pins on fuel lines and an item sold on the Internet called the tornado that swirls gas before it gets into the engine.

Conserving energy is not only important for driving, cooling the home more efficiently is also beneficial.

“Most people don’t realize the average house is twice as responsible for greenhouse gases as an average car,” said Maria Vargas, EPA Energy Star program spokesperson.

Vargas said people believe that they have to make sacrifices to save energy.

“Technology makes us more comfortable,” she said.

At www.energystar.gov under “Improvements” then under “Heating and Cooling” there is advice for how to be more energy efficient.

One tip tells consumers to make sure that windows and doors are sealed.

If they are not sealed they can add up to the equivalent of an open window, Vargas said.

To encourage more consumers to preserve energy, ComEd Spokesperson John Dewey said that ComEd is recommending tips and several programs that can save consumers both energy and money.

One program is the Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL) discount program that gives rebates for CFL bulbs, which are more expensive than traditional light bulbs but use 75 percent less energy.

The Nature First program offered by ComEd looks to reduce demand on the system.

If consumers choose to do so, ComEd will install an on/off switch on the central air conditioner that can either turn off the air conditioner for 15 minutes every half hour or for a three hour period when demand is high. Consumers can earn a $5 credit toward their electric bill for the 15 minutes their air conditioner is off, and a $10 credit when their air conditioner is off for three hours.
Dewey said he heard from customers that they did not even feel the difference when they participated in the program.

Other everyday tips from the ComEd Web site include installing an automatic thermostat.
Using a fan with air conditioning can lower the temperature in the home about 4 degrees, Dewey said. Closing window shades that face the south side of the house, where the sun comes in, can also reduce heat, he said.

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