Gas prices are rising fast! It seems to be on everyone’s mind. Some people are going out of their way with expensive solutions to the problem. But the fact is there are some easy things that everyone can do that cost nothing – it’s all about changing your habits. Here are the 7 ways:

1. Unload Excess Weight

If your vehicle is heavier than it needs to be it will require more energy so hauling around too much weight will also affect your fuel economy. Make sure your trunk is empty as well remove unnecessary items from the passenger cabin. With an extra hundred pounds in the trunk your vehicle’s fuel efficiency will be reduced by 1 to 2 percent in the average vehicle.

2. Properly Inflated Tires

Tires without enough air in them will require more energy to roll, this means more gas is required for your vehicle. It’s possible to improve fuel efficiency by about 3.3 percent when tires are kept properly inflated, according to the Department of Energy. The psi (Pounds per Square Inch) number noted on the sidewall of your tires is the max pressure for the tire; it’s not the correct inflation level for your car, look on the inside of the driver’s side door for that information.

3. Cruise Control on Flat Roads only

If you use cruise control, you can increase your fuel efficiency. If you are driving on flat roads, cruise control helps by maintaining a steady speed. If you are driving on a hilly landscape, using cruise control usually makes your engine work harder (to maintain the preset speed) than it would if you were pressing the gas peddle yourself. Think about the landscape ahead before you press the cruise control button.

4. Don’t Idle too much

If your vehicle is idling, your engine is burning fuel giving you a gas mileage of a big fat 0 mpg. If your car is running while you waiting in the drive-thru line up, or as you run into your friends house to pick something up, you are wasting gas. It makes a lot more sense to turn off the engine in these situations the start it up when you leave. This one is especially important to the environment as well.

5. Windows down or Air Conditioning

Using your car’s air conditioner cause your vehicle to use more gas, however driving with the windows rolled down can sometimes lower your gas mileage more due to the increase of drag on your car. When you are in the city you are better off leaving your windows open. When you are driving at higher speeds on the highway definitely roll up the windows and turn the air conditioning on if necessary.

6. Drive Steady and Smooth

When people are in a rush they drive more aggressively. Putting the pedal to the metal from a stoplight, the braking hard plus speeding are all factors that reduce your gas mileage. Consider every time you press the brake, you are wasting energy – don’t tailgate. Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination and drive nice and consistent – not all gas and all brake.

7. Follow your Vehicle’s Recommended Maintenance plan

If your vehicle is healthy and maintained it will operate more efficiently and burn less fuel. Dirty air filters or fuel filters will all influence your fuel economy, as will bad spark plugs. The U.S. Department of Energy states that replacing a clogged air filter will increase your fuel efficiency by up to 10% and replacing a bad oxygen sensor can realize gains as high as 40%.