4 Practical Ways to Save Money on Gas as Oil Prices Climb

As the war in the Middle East shows no signs of coming to an end, gas and oil prices are back on the rise. This is rightfully prompting consumers to think about ways they can save money.

The West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil benchmark was averaging under $96 per barrel, as of Monday evening. This index directly influences national gas prices, with the regular fill-up per gallon coming in at an average of roughly $4.48, as of September 21, according to data from the AAA. That’s up about $1.28 per gallon from the levels seen a year ago.

It’s even worse for diesel, which now costs $6.51 per gallon, almost double the $3.71 threshold seen 12 months ago.

For many, these costs have gotten out of control. Here are a few ways households can save money either at the pump or on gas in general.

Work From Home

Something that’ll make a big difference: request to work from home if you can instead of driving your car to the office.

The average American spent 27.2 minutes commuting to work in 2024 one way, according to an American Community Survey posted by the Census Bureau. That’s 136 minutes per week or 272 minutes when accounting for both ways.

If your job allows remote work, you’ll definitely find yourself at the pump much less.

Find Ways To Reduce Other Trips

If working from home isn’t feasible, see if you can find other smaller ways to reduce reliance on your car.

For example, is there a bus or a train route that can get you to work in a sufficient amount of time? Estimate your savings by comparing the fare prices to the number of times you fill up at the gas station each month.

Also, take a look at some other weekly trips. Maybe you can cut these out if you happen to live in or near a more urbanized district. A couple of examples might be using transit and walking to visit friends during hangouts and doing the same when going shopping.

Reward Apps

Reward apps are always great to add to retail savings. However, options are limited with gas reward apps.

But one of the prominent ones is called Upside, which gives you cash back at eligible gas stations, as well as restaurants and grocery. In the app, a map will show participating nearby locations where you can earn benefits for purchases. It’ll also show the cost per gallon, so you’re aware ahead of time.

Another mobile app that offers fuel rewards is GasBuddy. You may also want to check out exclusive apps from major oil and gas brands such as ExxonMobil and Shell.

Switch To EV Or Hybrid

This next tip may not be feasible for everyone. However, if you happen to have a car lease coming up, see if you can find a new one that offers better fuel efficiency, such as a hybrid or a fully electric vehicle (EV). This may also make sense for those in the market for a new car now.

I made the switch to a hybrid from a traditional gas car several years ago, for example and cut my monthly trips to the pump in half. To put that in perspective, that means those spending $150 per month on gas may only pay $75 if they can find similar savings.

But if you already drive an EV, additional savings will be tough to come by. Also, keep in mind that while you may eliminate trips to the pump, charging requires electricity – meaning your energy bill will go up. Make sure that’s taken into consideration, but still the savings will likely outweigh the cons here.