10 Tips for Saving At the Gas Pump

1. Check Online: Apps and websites such as GasBuddy, Upside, or Fuelio can show local gas prices, making it easy to find good prices in your area or if you are traveling. Generally, gas stations well off major highways and away from city centers tend to have better prices, as do warehouse stores and some major travel centers.
2. Drive Smoother: The smoother you accelerate and decelerate, the better your gas mileage, with potential gas savings of 2-3 mpg. Once up to the desired speed, don’t unnecessarily brake and waste the fuel used to get up to speed. Drive smoothly and anticipate the movement of traffic. Smooth acceleration, cornering, and braking also extend the life of the engine, transmission, brakes, and tires.
3. Slow it Down: For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by 7%. If you typically drive 70 mph on the highway and slow down to 65 mph, it’s the equivalent of saving 6-7 mpg.
4. Keep the Vehicle Aerodynamic: Remove an unused roof rack, tail-hitch rack, and a rooftop box. At highway speeds, more than 50 percent of engine power goes to overcoming aerodynamic drag. Don’t add to that by carrying unneeded things on the roof, it’s the equivalent of saving 6-10 mpg.
5. Pumping ’em Up: More than one-quarter of vehicles have improperly inflated tires. The average under-inflation of 7.5 lbs. causes a loss of 2.8% in fuel efficiency.
6. Ditch the Weight: For every 100 extra pounds carried around, your vehicle loses 1-2% in fuel efficiency.
7. Use the Correct Oil: You can stretch your gas mileage by 1%-2% by using the thinnest viscosity motor oil recommended by your car’s manufacturer. For example, adding 10W-30 motor oil in an engine that is designed to use 5W-30 can lessen your gas mileage by 1%-2%.
8. Keep the Vehicle Off: If stopped off the road for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. Don’t “warm-up” your car before driving — it is not necessary. For every two minutes that you don’t idle, you’ll save the equivalent of nearly 4 cents per gallon.
9. Check the Cap: It is estimated that nearly 17% of cars on the road have broken or missing gas caps, which reduce gas mileage as well as possibly harming the environment. Fixing or replacing a faulty gas cap is like saving 4 cents per gallon.
10. Skip the Premium: Save money and skip premium gas unless it is “required.” This is indicated on the fuel filler door. Many cars list “recommended,” which means it is optional. If there is only midgrade or premium fuel available, this will work fine in a car that is rated for regular gasoline.

[1] Based on projections by AAA, https://newsroom.aaa.com/2022/05/the-heat-is-on-memorial-day-forecast-points-to-sizzlin-summer-travel/.

[2] Based on GasBuddy’s Annual Summer Travel Survey.

[3] Savings based on May 25, 2022 regular gas price of  $4.59.

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“Clearly, the EPA listened to consumer, health and environmental advocacy groups who called for stronger federal clean car standards, after the previous administration rolled back the widely agreed upon 2011 standards. We are no longer stuck in reverse. However, looking forward, the EPA and NHTSA must make up for lost time and savings with the next set of standards in order to maintain a strong, competitive automotive sector after 2026. Strong clean car standards will spur the economy and grow the electric vehicle market. In fact, ambitious clean car standards are central to the Administration’s stated promises to make bold investments in climate improvements, job creation, economic equity and vehicle electrification,” said Dr. Mark Cooper, CFA’s Director of Research and principal author of the CFA report: Trump’s $2 Trillion Mistake: The War On Energy Efficiency.

“Thankfully, the Administration’s reversal of Trump’s rollback of clean car standards will save financially strapped Americans money, increase the availability of electric vehicles, provide good-paying jobs, and move us toward cleaner air,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s Executive Director. “Our surveys over the past decade show that consumers overwhelmingly want more energy efficient vehicles and strongly support stronger Federal standards. In addition, they understand that gas prices will continue to be volatile, especially today as they pay more than a dollar more[1] than last year for a gallon of gas. Rigorous future standards will be critical to protecting consumer pocketbooks and continuing an aggressive effort to address climate change.”

[1] https://gasprices.aaa.com/

Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

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CFA President White has announced the formation of a Transition Committee made up of representatives of CFA’s Board, Executive Committee and staff.  “We are pleased that Jack will remain as CEO during the search for a replacement,” said White.

“During his long tenure at CFA Jack has not only been CFA’s main conduit between the organization and the media, but over the years he has led CFA’s efforts in child and product safety, indoor air quality, consumer education, auto sales practices and, most significantly, auto safety.  As a well-known consumer advocate, Gillis is author, co-author and editor of 75 consumer books including The Car Book, published for 40 consecutive years.  He served for ten years as a contributing consumer correspondent for NBC’s Today Show representing CFA, was Good Housekeeping’s personal finance columnist, and was a child product safety columnist at Child Magazine,” said White.

“Gillis’ advocacy has been responsible for major changes in the automobile industry, including significantly improved vehicle safety, better warranties, and increased fuel efficiency.  Early in his career, The New York Times featured Gillis as a leader in a new breed of consumer advocates.  He was an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, where he taught in the Graduate School of Government and Business Administration, and he currently serves on the boards of the Center for Auto Safety (chair), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Center for the Study of Services (Consumers’ Checkbook) and CAPA.  Previously, he was Executive Director of the Certified Automotive Parts Association, a non-profit standard setting organization.  He received his MBA from The George Washington University where he served as a Teaching Fellow and his BA from the University of Notre Dame,” added White.

“Serving the Consumer Federation of America for all of these years has truly been an honor.  It has enabled me to work closely with some of America’s greatest consumer and safety advocates, men and women who have truly changed America for the better.  Any success that I’ve had at CFA rests squarely on the shoulders of these remarkable activists.  As it enters its 54^th year, CFA has a very exciting future ahead and I will always cherish being a small part of its distinguished history,” said Jack Gillis.

Contact: Marceline White, marceline@marylandconsumers.org

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“We are no longer stuck in reverse. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have proposed rulemakings that will once again strengthen clean car and fuel economy standards, but we have again urged the agencies to provide consumers with the strongest possible, loophole-free standards in order to save American families money. The EPA and NHTSA need to seize this moment by making up for lost time and savings with ambitious, forward-looking standards that will also serve to maintain a strong, competitive automotive manufacturing sector. Strong clean car standards will grow our economy and spur the burgeoning electric vehicle market. Ambitious clean car standards are central to the Administration’s stated promises to make bold investments in dealing with climate change, job creation and economic equity for all Americans, as well as in electrifying the transportation sector for all,” said Dr. Mark Cooper, CFA’s Director of Research and principal author of the CFA report: Trump’s $2 Trillion Mistake: The War On Energy Efficiency.

“Despite our concerns, we applaud the Administration for reversing Trump’s rollback of clean car standards. The current proposal will save financially strapped Americans money, increase the availability of electric vehicles, provide good-paying jobs, and move us to cleaner air. Fixing the flaws in the proposed rule will only increase the benefits,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s Executive Director. “Our surveys over the past decade show that consumers want more efficient vehicles and support Federal standards that require improvements.  In addition, they understand that gas prices will continue to fluctuate, so future standards will protect their pocketbooks.”

CFA’s concerns about the proposed rule include the following:

• High Rebound Rate Underestimates Benefits: NHTSA concludes that a reasonable rebound rate range was 5% to 15%. Using the best estimate as the midpoint of the range, or 10%, would have put NHTSA in agreement with EPA. However, NHTSA chose the high-end of 15%. CFA has long argued that the lower figure 5% is what is reasonable. In other words, NHTSA underestimates the pocketbook benefits and overestimates the social costs by 10%.
• Gasoline Taxes and Other Macroeconomic Impacts Miss the Mark: NHTSA indicates that lost gasoline taxes are a cost of higher fuel efficiency which they believe has a negative impact. Unfortunately, it does not look at other macroeconomic impacts, such as the multiplier effect, which in this case means when consumers spend less on gasoline, they have more to spend on other goods and services that stimulate our economy. Throughout our past analyses, we have argued that macroeconomic benefits should be included in any analysis. Including them as we have here would add over $25 billion to the total benefits. The agency should fully recognize all of the macroeconomic benefits rather than pick one macroeconomic cost to subtract from the benefits.
• Technology Costs are Overestimated: NHTSA has continued to disagree with the EPA over the anticipated/projected markup, which increases the cost to consumers by about 20%. It has also used a much slower (about 8%) learning rate (the process by which time and experience result in greater efficiencies and lower costs). In the NHTSA analysis of Alternative #3 the agency concluded that the costs are greater than the benefits, indicating that this option should not be pursued. By correcting the NHTSA analysis of Alternative #3, all three of the technology cost perspectives, private, social and total, have substantially greater benefits then their costs, indicating that the higher standard in Alternative #3 should be pursued.

Due to the shortcomings in the NHTSA proposal, CFA has generally supported EPA’s proposal to reboot the Obama standard setting process after the misguided and illegal attempt to undermine standard setting for automobiles by the previous administration. CFA noted that EPA had corrected many of the mistakes of the prior administration and demonstrated that the benefits far outweigh the costs.  Overall, CFA believes the EPA analysis is more appropriate, although there are a number of areas in which EPA could also improve its analysis.

CFA believes NHTSA has left substantial consumer benefits on the table because of its erroneous assumptions and concludes that EPA’s approach will provide consumers and the economy with greater benefits.  CFA recommends to NHTSA that before issuing a final rule, the agency should reexamine its analysis with regard to the rebound rate it has assumed, the macroeconomic benefits that should be considered as well as the markup costs and learning rate in order to ensure that consumers are provided the greatest savings possible.

[1] In NHTSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Agency put forward three Alternative rules, Alternative #3 calls for the highest annual increases in average fleet fuel economy.

Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

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The post CFA Offers Comments to NHTSA Supporting the Agencies Proposed 2024-2026 Revised Fuel Economy Standards, but Urges Agency to Correct Sizable Mistakes appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Below is a summary of our comments which provide our analysis of key aspects and reasons for supporting the EPA’s proposed revisions to the SAFE 2 rule:

• The Trump administration, reintroduced over two dozen (28) errors in its SAFE 2 rule which had previously been corrected. By reintroducing these errors into the rule, the benefit-cost ratio calculated by CFA of the standard in place before SAFE 2 to be 5-to-1, but subsequently has been reduced to a mere 1.1-to-1.  By reversing many of these errors through this proposed rulemaking and taking into account key changes, the benefit ratio has risen to 2.2-to-1.
• The Trump administration unjustly rolled back the previous 2011 standard, which was in good compliance with both the Administrative Procedures Act principles and required by Congressional statute. In fact, the continuous advancement of standards, which the Trump administration rejected, was mandated by the statutes.
• In the EPA’s proposed revision to the SAFE 2 rule, it has corrected numerous errors made by the Trump administration. These corrections include fixing the valuation of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, returning the rebound rate to 10 percent, lowering the discount rate and updating the availability of technologies.
• One of the largest changes from the current SAFE 2 rule involves vehicle safety. By irrationally doubling the rebound rate, the Trump administration projected increased fatalities by 75 lives. The Administration also underestimated the increasing crashworthiness of vehicles.  While the proposed SAFE 2 rule revisions do correctly establish that vehicles are becoming lighter to meet the standards, the rule rightly points out that vehicles are more crashworthy compared to just a decade ago when the standards went into effect.

While the EPA’s proposed rule has made strides in correcting the dozens of fundamental errors made by the Trump administration, CFA urges the current administration to vigorously support the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Given the current trajectory of fuel economy standards, over 100 million gasoline vehicles will still be sold before the full transition to EV’s. Stronger fuel economy standards are just one way to help spur the transition, as setting high standards on the gasoline part of the fleet will speed the adoption of electric vehicles. Additionally, with a significant amount of the gain in efficiency seen in traditional internal combustion (ICE) vehicles – both in vehicle design and operation – these may be applicable to the electric portion of the fleet as well.

Second, it is critical to close the remaining loopholes, especially those that could allow the automakers to “use” the electric vehicle part of their fleet to “relax” the efficiency of the gasoline-powered part. This trade-off must not be allowed.

Establishing a national goal of transitioning to an all-electric fleet while simultaneously accelerating the transition of the electrical grid to cleaner renewable sources is essential.  It is clear the current administration has recognized this and is working hard to move the country in this direction.

As our economic analysis shows, and the agency seems to agree, that these additional changes can be made with a net positive benefit-cost ratio.  The total cost of driving for consumers will go down, measured by the pocketbook savings.  Public health and environmental benefits will further increase an already positive benefit-cost ratio.  By fully embracing the transition to EVs, Americans of all income levels will be better off at the end of the changeover.

[1] The CFA website (http://consumerfed.org/issues/energy/) provides links to 140 pieces of testimony and reports published in the past ten years dealing with the efficiency of energy-using consumer durables divided roughly equally between appliances and vehicles.

[2] https://www.bls.gov/cex/22016/midyear/quintile.pdf.  Adding in fuel economy standards, which are governed by a structure of legal authority and administrative rules similar to that affecting appliances doubles the level of household expenditures and makes regulatory reform one of the largest consumer pocketbook issues for the Trump or any administration.

[i] Environmental Protection Agency, In the Matter of Proposed Rule to Revise Existing National GHG Emissions Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks Through Model Year 2026 EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0208.

The post CFA Offers Comments to EPA Supporting the Proposed “Revised 2023 and Later Model Year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards” Rule appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

However, Cooper went on to detail the hard work that lays ahead. One major challenge is that the agency must accelerate a transition in technology to an all-electric fleet, a transformation to which many of the automakers have already committed.  Therefore, the agency is not “mandating” a technology, it is seeking to smooth and accelerate its adoption.

The post CFA Applauds EPA’s Proposed MY2023-2026 Fuel Economy Standards Revision appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Despite our concerns, the President’s proposal will save financially strapped Americans money, increase the availability of electric vehicles, provide good-paying jobs, and move us to cleaner air,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s Executive Director.  “Our surveys over the past decade show that consumers want more efficient vehicles and support Federal standards that require improvements.  In addition, they understand that gas prices will continue to fluctuate, so future standards will protect their pocketbooks.”

“Carmakers have let Americans down in the past and failed to abide by their commitment to increased efficiency.  The voluntary nature of the President’s proposal opens the door to more broken promises.  The standard should have a requirement that automakers actually produce EVs, not promise that they will,” said Gillis.

“We are no longer stuck in reverse. The Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have started the process of once again strengthening clean car standards, but we will again urge the agencies to provide consumers with the strongest possible, loophole free, fuel economy and tailpipe emission standards in order to save American families money.  The EPA and NHTSA need to seize this moment by making up for lost time and savings with ambitious, forward-looking standards that will also serve to maintain a strong, competitive automotive manufacturing sector. Strong clean car standards will grow our economy and spur the burgeoning EV market.  Ambitious clean car standards are central to the Administration’s stated promises to make bold investments in climate, jobs and justice, as well as to electrify the transportation sector for all,” said Dr. Mark Cooper, CFA’s Director of Research and principal author of the CFA report: Trump’s $2 Trillion Mistake: The War On Energy Efficiency.

Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

The post Biden Administration’s Proposed Vehicle Standards and EV Commitments Help Put USA Back on the Road to Sensible, Money Saving Standards appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

The post CFA Urges Energy Policy Leaders to Focus Decarbonization Efforts on Focus on Renewables, Efficiency & Smart Grid Management appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“The technological revolution of the past quarter century has dramatically lowered the cost of four important resources that constitute a 21^st century electricity system,” Cooper noted. “There are: two supply-side options, onshore wind and utility photovoltaics (PV), and two demand-side approaches, efficiency and intelligent management of the grid to match supply and demand by utilizing digital communications, computational capacity and advanced control technologies,” he specified.

The presentation, entitled Building a Least-Cost, Low-Carbon, Electricity System with Wind, Solar, Efficiency, & Intelligent Grid Management: Electricity is the Core Infrastructure of the 21^st Century, Digital Economy, is based on three research reports published by CFA.[2] In addition to attendees to the workshop, CFA shared its view on the consumer benefits of decarbonization in a letter to key policy makers in the Administration and Congress.

The presentation identifies six advantages of the emerging electricity system:

1. Least Cost
2. Low Carbon
3. Large Macroeconomic Expansion
4. Millions of New Jobs, Dispersed Across the Nation
5. Improvement of Public Health and Safety
6. Greatest Decarbonization at the Least Cost

“Even if the public did not care one bit about climate change, the environment and decarbonization,” Cooper pointed out, “they should be fully supportive of the transformation of the electricity system and the technologies.  Moreover, according to recent public opinion polls, it turns out that they do care.[3]  They are quite concerned about the environment and climate change, perhaps because of the negative effects that have become obvious.  They strongly prefer efficiency and renewables as the solution over central station approaches.”

With all this going for the transformation of the electricity sector, the presentation asks and answers the question, “why it needs a boost from public policy.”

1. The need for speed is urgent.  Alternatives will not be deployed fast enough on their own without a significant policy push.
2. The rules that have been put in place over the past century favor central station approaches that are hostile to the alternative.
3. The powerful interests that have grown up around the existing, 20^th century approach, will resist and frustrate change that threatens to reduce their power.

The presentation also explains why the focus on buildings is so important.

1. Buildings represent about two-fifths (40%) of the primary energy consumption in the U.S.
2. Best practices could cut that in half and aggressive implementation of efficiency measures could increase the energy savings by another 10%.
3. Efficiency is among the lowest cost approaches to decarbonization.
4. Building efficiency relieves the pressure on supply-side sources.
5. Commercial and industrial buildings are particularly important for the dynamic matching of supply and demand.
6. Rooftop generation provides “behind-the-meter” benefits that are increasingly being recognized in utility regulation which must be carefully developed over the course of the next decade.

Yet, energy efficiency in buildings confronts numerous market barriers and imperfections that inhibit investment, research and deployment of efficiency enhancing technology – 30 specific imperfections were identified by McKinsey and Company over a decade ago.

CFA’s analyses over the past decade have shown that a “command-but-not-control” approach to implementing policies is best to accelerate efficiency and decarbonization.  This is a “pragmatic, progressive capitalist approach,” that relies on markets and innovation by adhering to six principles.  It must be:

1. long-term,
2. technology-neutral,
3. product neutral,
4. responsive to industry needs,
5. responsive to consumer needs, and
6. procompetitive.

“The result is to give consumers the maximum range of choices that comply with the standards,” Cooper concluded, “while capitalists are driven by consumer sovereignty to do what they do best, minimize cost.”

The presentation slides are available here.

[1] California Energy Commission, IEPR Workshop on Consumers, Financing, and Workforce, July 12.

[2] 2021: https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Building-a-21st-Century-Electricity-Sector-Report.pdf;    2017: https://consumerfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/two-trillion-dollar-mistake.pdf                                           2013: https://consumerfed.org/pdfs/Energy_Efficiency_Performance_Standards_Report.pdf

[3] Source: Gallop, Historical Trends: Energy. https://news.gallup.com/poll/2167/energy.aspx

Contact: Mark Cooper, 301-384-2204

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The momentum to transition to electric vehicles is a direct result of more and more states adopting achievable, cost-effective fuel efficiency standards. “By having Clean Car Standards, Virginians will be able to take advantage of money saving, low maintenance EVs. Virginia is the first southern state to become a Clean Cars state, joining the ranks of 14 other states and DC. The Old Dominion has thus made consumers’ pocketbooks a priority—we hope other states follow suit,” said Jack Gillis, Executive Director of CFA.

“I am pleased Virginia has taken this important step forward. These Standards will create good paying jobs, save consumers and businesses money, reduce our impact on the environment, and help address climate change,” said Irene Leech, President of Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (VCCC).

Reducing the sizeable percentage of household expenditures[1] that energy usage demands requires a multi-faceted approach at both the federal and state level. Virginia’s action supports the efforts of the Biden Administration in restoring the fuel efficiency standards eviscerated by the previous administration. “The ability of states to adopt more aggressive standards is one of the great benefits of American federalism, empowering individual states to find better ways of accomplishing shared goals,” said Gillis.

“Virginians are on the road to a brighter and cleaner future thanks to Governor Northam and the General Assembly joining the other states in the Clean Cars program. We hope that the nation’s 35 non-Clean Car states follow Virginia’s lead. The bottom line is that clean cars are more efficient, cost less to fuel and are cheaper to maintain,” concluded Leech.

[1] For households in the lowest 20% of income (before taxes), energy bills average 6% of total expenditures, while for those in the highest 20% of income (before taxes), energy bills average only 3% of total expenditures. Lower residential energy use reduces home energy expenditures as share of household income, U.S. Department of Energy, 2013.

Contact: Jack Gillis, CFA, 202-939-1018

The post Virginia Becomes a Money Saving ‘Clean Cars’ State appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

The post CFA Details Economic Benefits of Transforming the Energy System to New DOE Secretary Granholm appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“We are hopeful that GM has truly seen the light. Its failure to focus on fuel efficiency throughout the 2000’s resulted in millions of unsold gas guzzlers stuck on lots and a government bailout. Then just 5 years after agreeing to commonsense, money saving fuel economy standards in 2011, GM enthusiastically supported Trump in rolling back those same fuel efficiency standards. Clearly GM’s commitment to fuel efficiency is suspect. Today, GM’s words are good to hear, but it remains to be seen if action will follow,” said Gillis.

“Rather than ‘aspire’ to the inevitable future of electric vehicles, GM’s CEO Mary Barra could immediately take action by joining BMW, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen in supporting California’s Agreement that results in greater fuel efficiency,” said Jack Gillis, Executive Director of CFA. This agreement, which would require passenger vehicles to average 51 miles per gallon of gasoline by 2026, has already become the Biden Administration’s basis for a new national standard.

Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

The post GM’s “Aspiration” to Sell Only Electric Vehicles By 2035 is a Big Change, but Firm Commitments are Needed appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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We had a great briefing today, to view the Panel Experts PowerPoint Slides click below.

Steve Nadel – PowerPoint
Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy

Joanna Mauer – PowerPoint
Technical Advocacy Manager at the Appliance Standards Awareness Project

Dr. Mark Cooper – PowerPoint
Director of Research, Consumer Federation of America

The post CFA Member Briefing on Energy Efficiency Standards appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Governor Newsom’s decision to go forward with his ZEV goal is even more impressive given the fact that the Trump Administration is attempting to revoke the right of states to adopt a more stringent emissions standard guaranteed under the Clean Air Act since 1975. The Administration completely disregards the will of the fourteen states with 118 million Americans who have chosen to bring cleaner, cost-saving, fuel efficient cars to their communities,” said Jack Gillis, Executive Director of CFA.

For more than ten years, CFA has supported California’s Clean Cars Program and the ability of other states to adopt it. A CFA poll in August 2018 showed a majority of consumers believe that states should be able to lead when the federal government doesn’t and support the ability of states to adopt a higher standard. (ORC, August 2018, 3.1% +/- margin of error.)  “One of the great benefits of American federalism is that individual states can initiate better ways of accomplishing shared goals. The federal government should embrace California’s decision, and support California’s bold step in transitioning by 2035 completely to ZEVs, which due to their immense operating and maintenance cost savings will increasingly become the standard vehicle consumers purchase,” said Gillis.

Contact: Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

The post California Has Once Again Taken the Driver’s Seat to Advance Pocketbook Saving ZEV Vehicles appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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Washington, D.C. – In response to the Trump Administration’s move to gut the highly-popular, cost-saving, long ago accepted fuel economy standards, Jack Gillis, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of America and author of The Car Book, issued the following statements:

Consumers Will Pay Dearly for Trump’s Action:

“Rolling back fuel economy standards will result in a painful blow to consumer pocketbooks. President Trump’s action will force American families to pay $300 billion more than they should for gas or on average $3,200 more over the lifetime of a model year 2026 vehicle.[i] The current standards, set in place over 8 years ago, protect consumers from rollercoaster gas prices, which while currently low, will undoubtedly spike again, as history has shown. Americans have little choice in what they pay at the pump so they need fuel efficient choices when buying their next vehicle, whether it’s a car, truck or SUV. Denying families the current standards’ fuel savings will wreak havoc on household finances.  And with the coronavirus upon us, Trump’s timing couldn’t be worse for consumers and the economy.”

Trump’s Rollback Will Hurt U.S. Car Makers:

“CFA’s most recent analysis clearly shows automakers are on the road to achieving the standards. Severely stunting these gradual improvements – years before the full benefits of the standards surface – could roll the American auto industry back to when their lots were full of unsold vehicles in the late 2000s. This allowed foreign carmakers, with their fuel–sipping vehicles, to reap the sales while taxpayers had to bail out the U.S. carmakers.”

Trump is Flat-Out Wrong to Use Safety to Justify the Rollback:

“Our vehicle safety report completely refutes one of Trump’s flawed rationales that, rolling back the standards would improve safety. Safety is up, fuel economy is up and sales, until the coronavirus hit, have been up. Not only do fuel savings from the current standards cover the cost of fuel efficient technology, but they cover all of the other costs that go into automakers annual price increases, including new safety features. The truth is that today’s “all-new” vehicles are the safest, most efficient, most desirable cars, trucks and SUVs in history. When it comes to protection for families or fuel savings, consumers don’t have to choose with the current standards. Fuel efficiency makes safety affordable.”

Fuel Efficient Trucks and SUVs Sell Better:

“Families and workers who need larger vehicles will be hurt the most by this rollback. CFA’s analysis of vehicle sales shows that popular SUVs, which have increased their MPGs by 15 percent, sell far better than those that had less than a 15 percent improvement. MPG standards have been a win-win for the people who need bigger cars and a boon for the automakers who sell them.”

Trump Ignores Public Support and Puts Big Business Before American Families:

“The American public does not want these standards rolled back. Survey after survey shows that consumers want the higher fuel efficiency standards that save them money. CFA’s latest survey, as well as others conducted over the past ten years, provides indisputable evidence that consumers strongly support them. Rolling back fuel efficiency standards places corporate interests over American families. Consumers want, and are happy to buy, safe, attractive and fuel efficient vehicles that go farther on every gallon of gas.”

Trump is Revoking States’ Rights:

“Another tremendous blow in Trump’s overall rollback effort is revoking states’ rights guaranteed in the Clean Air Act and in place since 1975. This goes against the will of fourteen states and DC who represent over 118 million Americans and over a third of the automotive market, as well as a coalition of 150 Members of Congress, 17 governors, and 20 state attorneys general have spoken out against this move. Trump is attempting to prevent those states from adopting a higher standard that would result in keeping cost-saving, fuel efficient cars from being sold in their states.”

The Rollback Puts Good Jobs At Risk:

“Tragically, good manufacturing jobs across the country will be at risk with this rollback. Jobs will be lost if Detroit again cedes market share to foreign car companies that are better equipped to meet increasing global demand for more fuel efficient cars. And with the coronavirus pandemic and associated increase in unemployment, Trump’s decision only makes things worse.”

[i] Consumer Reports, “The Un-SAFE Rule Update: Weakening Fuel Economy and Emissions Standards Costs Consumers Money in Every State” (November 2019).

The post Trump’s Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards Will Cost Consumers Billions appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Individual Letter and Press Releases for Each State are Below

The post CFA Urges State Governors to Boycott Automakers Who Are Supporting Trump’s Attack on the Clean Air Act appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“These automakers had a choice, and they chose wrong,” said Jack Gillis, CFA’s Executive Director. “They could have sided with their customers and the four other automakers (Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW) that already voluntarily agreed to a set of reasonable, achievable standards which lead to fuel savings, but instead, they’re following Trump down a dead end road.”

The states, led by California, offered a counter framework for a national clean car solution that is far better than the one currently being proposed by the Trump Administration. Four automakers have already chosen to sign on to this agreement. As part of this deal, they agreed to uphold the CAA that grants states the authority to adopt stronger than federal clean car standards. States representing 55 percent of all vehicles registered in the U.S. have sued to defend state authority granted by the CAA. “This is Federalism at its best—when the Federal government fails to meet the needs of the people, the states step in,” said Gillis.

“These four automakers are placing themselves on the right side of history by providing consumers what they want and deserve, which are the safest, cleanest, most fuel-efficient cars possible,” said Gillis. “The rest of the automakers, supporting the Trump roll back, are going against both market and consumer demand. Customers want to pay less at the pump, whether they own a Prius or drive a GM pick-up. The future is efficient vehicles and when gas prices spike, will GM and Chrysler need another government handout in order to survive?”

In 2009, when gas prices spiked, many automakers were caught flat-footed, resulting in lost market share, and profits, leading to the bankruptcy of two major American automakers. “Joining the agreement will create a critical safety net, ensuring that they deliver the cost saving, clean and technologically sophisticated vehicles that consumers want, thereby keeping their companies in the ‘black’,” said Gillis.

Three automakers, Daimler, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo, have yet to take a side. In an effort to ensure consumers have more clean and fuel-efficient choices across the U.S., CFA is calling on the CEOs of these companies to join the voluntary emissions agreement spearheaded by California. At the same time, CFA is appealing to the 15 other automakers to abandon their commitment to join with the Trump Administration’s irrational decision to inflict more pain at the pump on hardworking American families.

“The state led voluntary agreement is in the best interests of both their companies AND their customers,” said Gillis. “Joining that agreement and choosing to stop defending Trump in his efforts to dismantle the Clean Air Act, would clearly demonstrate their commitment to meeting the desires of over 80,000,000 Americans who have consistently supported improved clean car rules and who will purchase vehicles impacted by the standards.”

“This is a fight to preserve a 56 year old federal law that gives states the ability to act in the best interest of their citizens,” said Gillis. “Tragically, Trump and a vast majority of automakers are working against the American people, unraveling the carefully crafted national consumer protection program that resulted from a consensus between the states, the federal government and all stakeholders.”

If more automakers join the state agreement, consumers, the economy and the automakers themselves could see the following benefits:

• Consumers Will Save Billions of Dollars Which Will be Pumped Back Into the Economy: Our projections show that if the agreement is adopted by all of the major U.S. automakers, it would preserve $800 billion of economic benefits out of the possible one trillion in benefits provided by the current federal standards.
• The Voluntary Agreement Supports the Ability of Automakers to Be Competitive in the Global Marketplace: Other countries are increasing their efficiency standards, with some pledging to abandon the internal combustion engine entirely within a few decades. The Agreement promotes a robust presence in the competitive global automotive market place, as consumers increasingly flock toward fuel efficient cars. Automakers who have not advanced the fuel economy of their vehicles will be left behind. The California agreement will enable to the U.S. to stay close to the rest of the world in the efficiency of their vehicle fleets.
• Joining the Voluntary Agreement Will Increase the Production of Electric Vehicles: The agreement provides incentives for manufacturers to increase availability of EVs. As automaker investments have indicated, the vehicle fleet needs to be substantially electrified. In doing so, the industry will profitably recoup the billions that automakers have invested in EV technology.
• The Voluntary Agreement Will Reduce Uncertainty Associated with Protracted Legal Challenges to the Trump Administration’s Anticipated Final Rule: Compliance with these compromise standards provides a clear regulatory path and enables product development to progress with confidence. A unified response by the manufacturers will likely reduce additional litigation.
• The Marginal Cost of Compliance with the Voluntary Agreement is Lower than the Cost of Compliance with the Federal Standard: While the California agreement achieves 80% of the efficiency level of the federal standards, it will cost significantly less than 80% of the estimated cost to meet those standards. In addition, the industry has consistently experienced much lower costs than originally projected to comply with standards, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have consistently overestimated the actual cost to meet the standards. What is particularly significant is that the cost of improving fuel efficiency is not only quickly recouped, but covers the costs of safety improvements, new technologies, and other features along with inflation.

“Neither the American people, nor history, will remember these 15 car companies kindly if they work to dismantle long-standing law and good policy at the expense of American family budgets. We strongly urge these automakers as well as those who are undecided to stand with consumers, their customers, and their economic future by signing onto the sensible voluntary agreement.  It’s imperative that they disassociate themselves from the harmful actions being taken by the Trump Administration—doing otherwise is a big mistake with enormous economic and public health consequences,” said Gillis.

[1] Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai, Isuzu, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mitsubishi, McLaren, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota

Contact:
Jack Gillis, 202-939-1018

The post GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota’s Decision to Side with Trump on Gutting the Clean Air Act Is a Huge Mistake appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

LED light bulbs are a great example of how innovation and technology can make your life easier. They last up to 25 times longer and consume up to 90 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs.  And it’s great not having to change bulbs as often.  You pay a little more up-front, but shop around, prices are dropping.

Tip: By switching five of your home’s most frequently used bulbs with ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs, you can save $75 on energy costs annually.  To match the soft, yellow-white light of your old bulbs, choose LEDs between 2700-3000 kelvin. Bulbs with a cooler or bluish light will be between 4000-6500 kelvin.

2. Heat and Cool Efficiently

Don’t waste money heating or cooling an empty home. Install a programmable thermostat and in colder weather schedule your home’s heat to lower when you are away or asleep, and increase when you are returning home or waking-up. In warm weather, schedule the thermostat to raise the temperature when you are away or asleep, and lower it at other times.

Tip: Follow the U.S. Department of Energy recommended temperatures and be energy-efficient all year.

3. Maintain Your HVAC (Heating and Cooling) System

Make sure to clean or change your furnace filters regularly. A dirty furnace filter will slow down air flow, making the system work harder to keep you warm (or cool) and costing you more money.

Tip: Consider getting a winter tune-up. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a semi-annual or yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can be vital to improve efficiency, saving you money and making your home more comfortable.

4. Seal Those Leaks

On average, heating and cooling account for almost half of a home’s energy consumption. In fact, all the little leaks can be equivalent to leaving open a 3-foot-by-3-foot window.

Tip: Take simple steps like caulking windows, sealing leaks around chimneys and recessed lighting, and sliding draft guards under your doors to save up to 20% on heating costs.

5. Wash Your Clothes Efficiently

A washing machine spends 90% of its energy to heat water.  There are a number of ways to use it efficiently.

Tip: Consider using cold water instead. In addition, try to run full loads as much as possible, because the machine uses roughly the same amount of energy regardless of the load size. Also, consider air-drying.

6. Clean Your Dishes Efficiently

Dishwashers certainly make life easier—and on top of that, you can use your dishwasher efficiently to save energy dollars.

Tip: Avoid the “rinse hold” cycle and skip heated drying – simply open the door at the end of the washing cycle and let the dishes air dry!

7. Turn the Electronics Off

It’s all too easy to forget and leave electronics plugged in that are not in use.

Tip: Turn off unnecessary/idle lights, appliances and electronics. A power strip can help turn off multiple items at once and avoid ‘phantom loads’. (Sometimes the simplest things are really effective!)

8. Winter Tip: Invite the Sun In

Don’t forget to take advantage of the sun during the cooler shorter days.

Tip: Open curtains/shade on your west-and south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and save 2%-12%.

9. Summer Tip: Close Blinds and Shades

Excess, warm summer sunlight makes it harder to keep your home cool and comfortable.

Tip: During the day, keep your blinds and shades closed to prevent warm air from building up in your home.

10. Look for the ENERGY STAR® Label

Consider this: Clothes washers and dryers that have earned the ENERGY STAR® label provide superior energy efficiency by incorporating advanced features that deliver on performance while being gentler on your clothes. You can save $380 over the lifetime of an ENERGY STAR® certified clothes washer.  They use 25% less energy and approximately 33% less water than standard models. Learn more at: www.energystar.gov.

Tip: If you are undertaking a major home remodel or new build, consider installing ENERGY STAR® qualified HVAC equipment and appliances.

For more energy saving info, visit energystar.gov

Click here to download the tips.

The post 10 Tips to Save Energy Dollars appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

One of the great benefits of American federalism is that individual states can discover better ways of accomplishing shared goals.  New Mexico and Minnesota have decided that it is in the best interest of their citizens to join together with the other clean car states, and their ability to do so shouldn’t be blocked by Trump’s misguided rollback of common sense fuel economy standards. By attempting to take away this critically important state authority, President Trump will simultaneously increase consumers’ costs at the pump, make U.S. vehicles less competitive, and throw America in reverse when it comes to a cleaner environment.

The post Minnesota and New Mexico’s Plan To Join 14 Other States In Adopting Stronger Fuel Economy Standards Is a Win For Consumers appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“It is inconceivable that the President is arbitrarily revoking a regulatory program that is supported by an amazingly diverse group of stakeholders including consumers, automakers, business groups, unions, national defense experts, public health advocates and environmentalists.  Recent events in the Middle East demonstrate that foreign oil impacts gas prices and the President’s move to increase U.S. gas consumption is patently irresponsible.”

“By taking away this critically important state authority, President Trump will simultaneously increase consumers’ costs at the pump, make U.S. vehicles less competitive, and throw America in reverse when it comes to a cleaner environment.  Already 4 major car companies have voluntarily signed onto an emissions agreement with California and more are likely to sign on.  Now is not the time to put the brakes on a remarkable opportunity to protect consumers, car companies and our country,” said Gillis.  “We look forward to working with California to expand car maker participation in their voluntary program.  A consensus national standard through the California waiver preserves states’ rights and allows them to exercise leadership that meets the public’s need for more fuel efficient vehicles.”

For more than ten years, CFA has supported California’s Clean Cars Program and the ability of other states to adopt it. A CFA poll in August 2018 showed a majority of consumers believe that states should be able to lead when the federal government doesn’t and support the ability of states to adopt a higher standard. (ORC, August 2018, 3.1% +/- margin of error.)  “One of the great benefits of American federalism is that individual states can discover better ways of accomplishing shared goals.  What is particularly elegant about the waiver in the Clean Air Act is that it enables states to choose comply with Federal standards or adopt the more stringent California standards while avoiding fragmentation into fifty individual state standards,” said Gillis.

The post Trump’s Revocation of California’s Authority to Set Emissions Standards is an Attack on Consumers and American Federalism appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Today’s agreement slightly weakens the current standards by decreasing the original fuel economy increases year-over-year and moves the current 2025 requirement to 2026. The agreement will ensure that automakers continue to retain the flexibility to produce and sell vehicles consumers want, while also increasing fuel efficiency which will save consumers billions. It will also guarantee that automakers continue to innovate, with a particular focus on electric vehicles, which are increasingly seen as being the future of automotive industry. California is to be congratulated for continuing to lead our nation toward a more fuel efficient future in the face of the Trump Administration’s unrelenting and ill-founded march toward stalling innovation and forcing Americans to pay more at the pump.

The post California and 4 Automakers Agree to Defeat Trump’s Rollback of Fuel Economy Standards appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.