• It’s no secret that the way you drive can significantly help or hurt your car’s fuel economy.
•  Jack rabbit starts burn up fuel. Using cruise control when possible boosts fuel economy. 
• Make sure your tires are properly inflated. You can improve gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent by doing that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Check your tires at least once a month. 
• Mike Quincy at Consumer Reports Autos had this tip: get rid of any unnecessary weight – golf clubs or big containers of kitty litter in the trunk – and remove any roof rack or bike rack that you’re not using regularly. “The added weight of excess cargo or the extra aerodynamic drag caused by those racks will really reduce fuel economy,” he said.

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.
 

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, there are long lines at the pumps in the Northeast, but gas prices are actually down an average 21 cents a gallon nationwide over the past two weeks. Sometimes it is tough to square images of the extended queues of people waiting for gas with prices on the sign at your local gas station.

Will gas prices rise for the rest of America because of Sandy? 

To get at the answers and the big picture, TODAY had the former CEO of Shell Energy, John Hofmeister, currently CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy, on the show to break it down.

The burning question: Why such a big drop in gas prices? Sandy was a major event for the many lives it took, devastated and changed. In terms of the gas market, though, there are bigger, longer-trending forces at work. The big one is seasonal demand. This time of year, for many months in a row, there is less driving in general. That pushes down prices across the board.

On top of that, looking out into the next year and beyond, it doesn't look like there's going to be a big ramp-up in demand for fuel use any time soon. That also keeps a thumb on the price of filling up at the pump.

Hold on a second, though: Prices shot up after Katrina. Why isn't the same thing happening with this major, devastating weather event? For one, Hurricane Katrina hit the oil-producing Gulf Coast, hitting production facilities and refineries with sustained damaging wind and water.

The wind didn't last as long and wasn't as destructive in the Northeast, and didn't hit a major supply center for the country. Pipelines and supply routes were disrupted on the East Coast, but that's more about delivery. That isn't as much of a factor on national gas prices as having the supply get impacted.

What about the long gas lines? How much longer will they last?

It all depends on when full power is restored, said Hofmeister. After that, it should take about five days for drivers to get resupplied and get demand back to normal.

It's that spike in demand that's the big factor right now.

"Odd-even was a good decision, because it reduces demand by mandate," said Hofmeister, referring to the gas-rationing ordered by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Under the policy New Jersey gas stations can only sell gas to license plates ending in an even number on even days of the month and to odd numbers on odd days of the month.

"Fear drives the long lines," said Hofmeister. "Fear (that) when you need gas there won't be any. The drivers put excess demand on a system that is undersupplied."

As power comes back on, people finish digging out their homes and supplies return, that fear is likely to abate, and along with it, the lines at the pump.

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Gasoline prices in the United States dropped four-tenths of a cent over the past two weeks as crude oil prices fell, ending a long stretch of sustained price increases, according to a widely followed survey. 

The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.8338 on September 21, down from $3.8376 on September 7, according to Trilby Lundberg, editor of the Lundberg Survey, which covers some 2,500 gas stations nationwide.

While the decline is small enough to be considered "no change," it ends a nine-week run of gas price increases dating to July 13, when the average gallon of gas cost $3.41, Lundberg said on Sunday.

The change was spurred by a fall in crude oil prices caused in part by signals that Saudi Arabia may be willing to supply more oil to the market to lower prices, Lundberg said.

The news could portend a period of price stability assuming relative status quo in crude oil prices.

"Margins on gasoline for refiners and retailers are not only positive but comparatively healthy, so there is no disadvantage at the moment for the industry to withhold a price cut," Lundberg said.

Continued economic struggles in the United States and Europe, as well as an economic slowdown in China, the world's No. 2 oil consumer, also played a role in weakening demand, she said.

The end of the high-consumption summer months brought about lower demand, while the resolution of issues at some U.S. refineries increased supply, Lundberg added.

According to the survey, Chicago has the priciest gas at an average of $4.25 a gallon, while drivers in Jackson, Mississippi, pay the lowest average price of $3.52.

 Updated at 2:57 p.m. EDT: Gas prices jumped again Thursday in the wake of Hurricane Isaac, leaving drivers facing the prospect of costly fillups as they take to the highway for a final summer spin over Labor Day weekend.

Prices climbed two cents a gallon to $3.82 nationally to a record for this time of year and are likely to edge higher still in coming days, the American Automobile Association said. The gains came on top of a five-cent surge Wednesday when Isaac pounded the oil-rich Gulf Coast region. The price has risen steadily from the summer low of $3.33 on July 2.

Consumers are likely to get a price break soon as oil and gas companies gradually restart their Gulf operations, but AAA said drivers should expect to pay a few more pennies by the end of the holiday weekend.

Isaac spared heavily populated New Orleans from the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. But this week’s storm caused widespread damage and dumped more water in the region than its sister storm seven years ago, according to the National Weather Service. Thousands remain stranded and power outages have been widespread.

Up to 50,000 people in Louisiana  were ordered to evacuate Thursday as a dam seemed ready to give way across the state line in Mississippi.

Drivers caught a break, though, as the storm appears to have spared the region's many refineries and oil rigs, unlike the devastation that affected the industry for months after Katrina in 2005.  As a result, AAA analysts expect pump prices to decline quickly after the holiday.

“We would expect prices to be going back down by mid-September,” said Michael Green, AAA public relations manager. “We can’t estimate exactly how much. “

Isaac’s slow journey through the Gulf and Louisiana’s energy-refining heartland is still driving prices higher across the land, but from initial assessments the storm appears to have had no lasting damage on energy infrastructure, he said.  Refineries and rigs shut down as a precautionary measure.

One refinery in Belle Chasse, La., was flooded, according to wire reports.

“It’s a little early to say for certain but it appears they were relatively unharmed,” said Green.  “It’s still to be seen when there are deeper assessments, but so far there are no reports of anything significant. That’s good news for the oil refiners.”

As the storm headed north, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan warned gas stations owner against price gouging after complaints against some Southern outlets in the storm’s path. 

“I’m putting (gasoline station) retailers on notice that these circumstances are not an excuse to gouge customers at the pump,” said Madigan. “My office will be closely monitoring gas prices to ensure gas station owners are operating legally.”

Despite the storm and the higher gasoline costs, nearly 33 million Americans still plan to travel for Labor Day, said AAA. That would be a 3 percent rise in traffic from a year ago.  Americans have been driving more on major holidays this year than they did during the depths of the recent recession, the association reports.

Amid higher fuel demand and low gasoline inventory, prices have been pushing higher, although consumers will get a break soon due to a recent jump in refinery output, said Green. Refiners have had a relatively trouble-free season and were able to boost supplies to move to gas stations ahead of the storm season.

With the end of summer, there will be fewer drivers are on the roads, as well, further reducing fuel demand.  The change of season also means stations can sell less expensive gasoline than the ozone-friendly mix they are required to pump in summer months.

Another storm could tip the scales once again. The official end of the hurricane season is Oct. 31.

“There is still a chance of more storms but Labor Day is generally considered the peak,” said Green.

For gasoline prices, it looks like high time is this weekend.

(This story has been corrected from a previous version.)

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After dropping 75 of the previous 77 days, gas prices are ticking back up and could remain high for the remainder of the summer. NBC's Mara Schiavocampo takes a look at what's fueling the recent price surge at the pump. 

Jim Weber / AP

Travis Wayne fills a tank in Memphis, Tenn. Gas prices in the state have decreased by 9.7 percent in the past 12 months -- the fourth-biggest decline in the country.

Fiscal woes in Europe and sluggish job growth in the United States have put downward pressures on oil prices. As a result, gasoline prices declined in all but two states over the past month, dropping 7.1 percent across the country. In many of these, gas prices are on the verge of falling below $3 per gallon.

Despite the overall decline, the range between gas prices among states is still wide. 24/7 Wall St. examined AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report to determine the 10 states whose residents pay the least at the pump. We found that the most decisive factor in determining gas prices is location. Most of the states with low gas prices are located on or near the Gulf of Mexico. They also have among the lowest gas taxes in the country.

Five of the 10 states with the lowest gas prices are located on the Gulf Coast, where a disproportionate amount of crude oil is processed. Furthermore, among the five states not on the Gulf Coast, three border the coastal states. Residents of these three states benefit from lower costs of transporting oil.

“Gulf Coast states benefit from having ready access to the refineries that are in the region,” says AAA spokesperson Michael Green. “In fact, Gulf Coast refineries produce the most gasoline of any region in the country, and generally have a surplus, which means they’re sending gasoline that’s made in Gulf Coast refineries to other parts of the country.”

The states with the lowest gas prices have seen a more precipitous decline in those prices compared to the rest of the country. South Carolina and Mississippi, the states with the two lowest gas prices, now enjoy 9.1 percent lower prices compared to a month ago. Green points out that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, which is produced primarily in the Gulf Coast region, is cheaper than other forms of crude and has seen a faster decline in price.

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Another factor determining gas prices is a state’s gasoline tax. All but two of the states on this list are in the bottom half of states in terms of total taxes charged, which include a federal 18.4 cents a gallon tax and state taxes. But the relationship between gas taxes and prices is far from perfect. Alaska has the lowest gas tax but the second-highest gas prices. The states with the second- and third-lowest gas taxes, Wyoming and New Jersey, did not make our list.

While not always the case, transportation costs in the states on 24/7’s list tend to be lower than the national average. Nine of the 10 states are in the lower half of states in terms transportation costs, while three are in the bottom 10 states.

AAA provided 24/7 Wall St. with the most recent available average price of regular unleaded gasoline by state. The organization also provided prices from one week, one month and one year ago. 24/7 Wall St. also examined the number of refineries and total refining capacity as of January 1 of this year, provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The American Petroleum Institute provided state gas taxes, which were also as of the beginning of this year. This includes state gas excise taxes, as well as other taxes (including sales tax).

These are the 10 states with the cheapest gas.

1. South Carolina

• Regular gas price per gallon: $2.99
• Tax per gallon: 16.8 cents (4th lowest)
• Number of operating oil refineries: 0

South Carolina has the lowest average gas prices in the nation, and is the only state currently under the $3 per gallon mark. Compared to last year, gasoline prices in the state have decreased by 10.5 percent -- tying Mississippi for the highest proportional decrease in the country. Low prices in South Carolina are likely due in part to the low tax per gallon of 16.8 cents, which is the fourth lowest in the country. South Carolina’s prices have fallen by about 19 percent since their early April peak of $3.70.

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2. Mississippi

• Regular gas price per gallon: $3.06
• Tax per gallon: 18.8 cents (7th lowest)
• Number of operating oil refineries: 3

Gasoline prices are down about 18 percent from Mississippi’s yearly peak in the first week of April. The state ranks among the lowest in total taxes and fees per gallon of gas, which help keep its fuel prices low. The three refineries in Mississippi process 364,000 barrels of raw crude per day, the 11th most in the country. Low carrying costs for fuel could therefore also contribute to the state’s low gasoline prices. There is just a 19 cents per gallon tax for gas sold in Mississippi, the seventh-lowest in the country. The state also has no sales tax to drive up what people pay at the pump.

3. Alabama

• Regular gas price per gallon: $3.07
• Tax per gallon: 20.9 cents (14th lowest)
• Number of operating oil refineries: 3

Alabama has three major refineries that process 120,000 barrels of crude each day. The state also had a 36-cent decrease in gas prices last year -- the highest decline in the nation. Gasoline prices continue to drop rapidly in the state, with an 8 percent decline last month alone. Transportation costs in Alabama are the ninth lowest in the country, and the state has the eighth-lowest excise tax, at 16 cents per gallon.

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4. Tennessee

• Regular gas price per gallon: $3.08
• Tax per gallon: 21.4 cents (15th lowest)
• Number of operating oil refineries: 1

Average gas prices in Tennessee have decreased by 9.7 percent in the past 12 months (the fourth-biggest decline in the country). In the past month alone, gas prices fell by 28 cents, an 8.3 percent decrease. According to the Cost of Living Index, low gas prices help drivers in Tennessee enjoy the seventh-lowest cost of transportation in the U.S. Tennessee drivers also pay the 15th-lowest state taxes on gas in the nation, at just 21.4 cents to the gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute.

5. Louisiana

• Regular gas price per gallon: $3.16
• Tax per gallon: 20 cents (tied for 12th lowest)
• Number of oil refineries: 18

Louisiana is second to Texas in the number of oil refineries and gallons of oil processed per day, at more than 3.2 million barrels between its 18 major refineries. With close proximity to offshore drilling in the Gulf and the relatively low state tax on gas -- 20 cents per gallon -- Louisiana drivers pay some of the lowest gas prices in the nation.

Read the rest of the list of states with the cheapest gas at the 24/7 Wall St. website

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Featurepics stock

The researchers found that Americans had a pretty sophisticated understanding of what steps would make a major difference in terms of saving energy.

 Americans are worried about the nation’s energy problems and take some personal responsibility for them, but they don’t necessarily feel like they have the ability to make major changes soon to address them.

That’s according to a new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was conducted earlier this year and released Thursday.

The survey found that 78 percent of Americans say energy issues are extremely or very important and 72 percent feel that way about gas prices.

Still, they place even more importance the economy, education and health care. And when it comes to finding solutions, they are looking to the energy industry and the government.

The poll found that 65 percent of Americans say the energy industry has major responsibility for increasing energy savings in the United States. About 58 percent said the government has that level of responsibility, and 57 percent said it fell to individuals such as themselves.

Nevertheless, Americans were willing to admit that they are at least partly to blame for the nation’s energy woes.

Nearly two-thirds of those polled said a major reason for the nation’s energy problems is that people use a lot of energy and are not willing to reduce that demand.

But the people surveyed were nearly equally likely to say that a major reason is that energy industry does not do enough to make energy-saving products and services more affordable. More than half also felt that the government should be extremely involved in finding solutions to the country’s energy problems.

The researchers found that Americans had a pretty sophisticated understanding of what steps would make a major difference in terms of saving energy, such as buying a more fuel-efficient car or installing insulation.

But they were much more likely to say that, realistically, they could make more moderate changes, such as turning down the thermostat or turning off lights, in the next year.

A major barrier to the bigger changes: The cost.

“Some of the more expensive things, like (buying a) fuel-efficient car or changing out the insulation in your home, those were some of the hardest thing that people thought to do,” said Jennifer Benz, a research scientist with NORC.

Benz said the researchers didn’t define what they meant by “energy problems,” and she noted that the term may mean many different things to many different people.

“Some people think of it in terms of cost. Some people think about it in terms of concerns about energy and the environment,” she said.

With money tight and the economy weak, Americans have been closely watching rising and falling gas prices, and paying close attention to things like heating and air conditioning bills.

But as economic concerns have taken a front seat, other research has shown that Americans are growing less concerned about the environment. After years or prioritizing the environment over economic development, a long-running Gallup poll has found that since 2009 Americans have placed higher priority on saving the economy than the planet.

Americans are still keeping a tight grip on their wallets, bypassing vacations and dinners out, even though they feel better about their own financial security.

What’s still spooking U.S. consumers? Gas prices.

Even though gas prices have been declining for several months, nearly six in 10 consumers say they’ve cut back on nonessential spending because of hefty fuel prices, according to a study released Monday by Bankrate.com.

“Gas prices are still a drag on people’s spending power,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate’s senior financial analyst.

According to AAA, the national average price for regular unleaded fuel declined to $3.689 a gallon, down from $3.871 a gallon last month, and below the average prices of $3.867 a year ago.

“Despite the drop in recent weeks, gas prices are still at elevated levels,” he continued. This at a time, he pointed out, “when so many households are dealing with stagnant incomes.”

But there’s good news in the Bankrate.com report. Consumers are feeling pretty okay about their job security and their debt loads.

For the first time since December 2010, Bankrate’s Financial Security Index -- which tracks how consumer gauge there overall economic health -- passed the 100 threshold, which shows that Americans see an improvement in their financial security.

Bankrate's Financial Security Index

“We’ve seen improvement on multiple fronts,” McBride maintained. “People are feeling more secure in their jobs, they feel better about their debt burdens, and they’re reporting lower net worth with less frequency.”

The main reason for the optimism, he noted, was the stabilizing of home prices throughout many town across the country. “When people see home prices sliding they can see their net worth declining, but when they rise, all of a sudden they feel better about their net worth.”

So the wild card, he added, are gas prices. If they start to decline further, “that’s going to breath some life into household budgets and they’ll have more money to spend.”

And it may take off before the job market gets more robust. 

“While hiring has not exactly taken off, downsizing activity remains relatively low and many employers are actually worried about losing talent," maintained John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "This is not to say that job security has returned to pre-recession levels, but workers certainly are enjoying more security than two years ago."  

What’s your take? Have you decided to cut back on nights out at the movies, or Memorial Day travel because of gas prices? Do you feel more secure about you job? 

The recent run-up in fuel prices has put the spotlight on hybrids, battery cars and other high-mileage vehicles.  But while it may sound great to get 40, even 50 miles a gallon, are you spending an arm and a leg to save far less than you might expect on your annual gasoline bill?

Some hybrids carry a premium that can push up to $5,000 or more.  The penalty is even higher with plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs.  Even on many “eco” models using relatively conventional gasoline power you could be in for a stiff price penalty.  But is it worth it?

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Not necessarily, if you’re simply trying to save money and not really worried about going “green.”  But there are some models that minimize your up-front investment and deliver you savings fast.

“The price of gas has consumers thinking about fuel economy but there’s a financial investment involved with most of these fuel-saving packages,” says Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence at TrueCar.com. “It’s important to compare the improvements in fuel economy and the extra costs of the package before purchasing a new vehicle.”

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Smart shoppers look at the so-called “payback period,” the time it takes to recover your up-front investment.  On some models, the extra cost for that “eco” package can take you a decade – or more – to get your money back in the form of lower fuel bills.

Toprak stresses that shoppers should be looking at the EPA’s Combined fuel economy number, not the Highway mileage manufacturers like to advertise.  For most motorists, the lower Combined figure is likely to be closer to what you’ll actually get, day-to-day.

Take the 2012 Honda Civic HF, it’s rated at 33.4 mpg, compared to 32.1 for the conventional Honda Civic LX.  It also carries a typical price premium of about $766 on an average transaction price – or ATP – of $19,398.  TrueCar estimates the average owner will need to keep the HF for 10.6 years to recover that premium.

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The new $20,982 Chevrolet Cruze Eco, which gets 30.6 mpg. You would need 48 years to recover the nearly $900 premium over the conventional Cruze, at 30.3 mpg.

The good news is that there are a number of vehicles that can pay you back in less than five years.

The best deal of the bunch? The Mazda3 Touring with the SkyActiv powertrain, which not only delivers 32.4 mpg, 7.7 mpg better than the conventionally powered Mazda3, but costs about $900 less, at $22,366.  You start saving cash the moment you drive off the lot.

The other big winners:

• The Chevrolet Sonic with Ecotec Turbo carries a $635 premium, at $16,951, but it delivers 33.1 mpg compared to 29.4 for the base Sonic, so you’ll earn your premium back within 2.9 years;
• The $27,566 Ford Edge with Ecoboost is $864 more than the same “people-mover with a standard 3.5-liter V-6, but is rated at 24.3 mpg v 21.9. You’ll be in the black within 3.3 years;
• The Kia Forte Sedan EX Eco is, at $17,786, just $273 more than the sedan with a 2.0-liter engine. It gets an extra 1 mpg Combined, at 30.7 mpg, and will pay you back in 4.2 years;
• For those who need a big truck, the $28,732 Ford F-150 SuperCab 145” with Ecoboost carries an $853 premium over the same F-150 model with a 5.0-liter V-8. You’ll get an extra mpg at 18.2, and see payback in 4.5 years, says TrueCar.

The service’s estimates are based on gas at $3.90 a gallon and a motorist driving 15,000 miles a year.  Of course, the higher the price the quicker the savings.  On the other hand, if you only clock 12,000 miles annually, the payback period will stretch out even longer.

Gallup

The economy remains a key worry for most Americans.

It’s still the economy, people.

Despite signs the economy is improving, a new poll finds Americans are still most worried about – you guessed it – the economy.

And when that’s not keeping us up at night, there’s a host of other pocketbook issues to fill our worried minds, the Gallup poll released Wednesday finds.

The poll, conducted in early March, found that 71 percent of Americans worry a great deal about the economy. That’s the same percentage as a year ago and shows that even a dropping unemployment rate and other signs of economic improvement are doing little to ease our concerns about the country’s economic future.

Gas prices, which currently average around $3.90 a gallon, also topped the list of worries, with 65 percent of Americans saying they worry a great deal about pain at the pump.

In addition, 60 percent worry a great deal about the affordability and availability of health insurance, and 55 percent are worried about unemployment.

Other big picture economic issues also appear to be keeping us up at night, including federal spending, the budget deficit and Social Security.

Many more respondents said they worry a fair amount about these issues, leaving only a minority who said they weren’t concerned at all.

Economic issues appeared to be much more of a concern than other social and political issues such as environmental issues, illegal immigration, race relations or the possibility of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

Related:

Magic number for gas prices: $5.30 a gallon, poll finds

Worsening road congestion is wasting plenty of time and money – especially when you consider the rising cost of gas.

A new study by the U.S. Treasury Department finds that traffic snarls wasted 1.9 billion gallons of fuel last year — about 5% of the gas American motorists used.  At the current price, that would work out to more than $7 billion nationwide.  Other recent studies have indicated that Americans collectively waste about 5 billion hours in traffic, meanwhile, which works out to billions of dollars more in lost productivity.

In all, the study – prepared in support of the White House effort to upgrade the nation’s highway infrastructure – suggests the total cost in time and money works out to about $100 billion a year.

The cost of poor quality roads, meanwhile, results in about $400 in added yearly maintenance costs for the typical urban driver.  That runs as high as $756 annually for a motorist in the metropolitan San Jose areas, according to the report.

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The Obama Administration is hoping that the report will hope get members of the House of Representatives to finally act on a federal highway bill that has been stalled on Capitol Hill.  The Senate has already passed a two-year measure that will fund infrastructure and transportation programs – and allow the government to continue collecting federal fuel taxes.

House Republicans, however, have been pressing for a five-year, $260 billion measure – but it has so far failed to win enough support.  If the House fails to act – or if the two sides of the Hill fail to come up with a compromise – before the end of the month all federal highway and transportation programs could come to a halt.  Even fuel tax collection would be stopped.  By some estimates, the impact could be as much as 2 million jobs.

House Speaker John Boehner has shifted his position to support the Senate measure but it is unclear whether he can sway enough of his fellow GOP lawmakers.

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But there is growing pressure to reach that compromise.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, says the Treasury Department report is “the latest reminder that it’s time to stop the partisan bickering in Washington and invest in our nation’s infrastructure.”

The study reveals that:

• Nine out of 10 Americans spend $1 out of every $7 they earn on transportation;
• Simply to repair the crumbling U.S. bridge and roadway infrastructure will require an annual $85 billion in spending over the next 20 years;
• Yet the U.S. spends less on transportation infrastructure than the majority of other major economies, such as Britain and Germany.  For the U.S., it is just 2% of GDP compared to 5% in Europe.  Fast-growing China is currently investing 9%, though that includes a push to create a roadway infrastructure.

The study also reports that the use of highway ridership soared to 10.4 billion paid trips last year, up from about 8 billion in 1996.  The vast majority of that growth has come on light and heavy rail systems.

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Ironically, the impact of traffic congestion might have been worse had it not been for the recession, which has seen millions of Americans thrown out of work.  A separate study by Texas A&M University found that the number of hours Americans lost to traffic snarls slipped from a record 5.2 billion hours in 2007 – before the wholesale collapse of the economy – to just 4.6 billion the year after.  The figure has only slowly been rising again as the economy recovers.

On a personal level, the study found the average American losing more than 30 hours annually to traffic congestion, with the figure rising to more than 70 hours in cities like L.A., Washington, D.C., and Chicago.