Top 5 Reasons to Track Your Gas Mileage with Moblu

One of the first questions people typically ask about Moblu is "Why should I bother tracking my gas mileage?"

Great question.

Here are my Top 5 reasons. I hope you'll agree that one or more of them is reason enough to spend thirty seconds or so each time you fill-up. If you have any other reasons that you think should be added to the list, let us know.

#1 - The "Awareness" Effect

Did you know that numerous studies have shown that individuals will reduce their energy consumption by up to 10% when they are given more relevant and timely information about their energy use.

Taking thirty seconds or so to use Moblu to record each fill up is a great way to get the "Awareness Effect" working for you. You'll know if you're getting the most you can out of the gas you're using. If you're not, it may spur you to figure out why, and whether there is anything you can do differently to change it. Enter Reason #2.

#2 - The "Cause and Effect" Effect

There are lots of easy, low-cost changes you can make to improve your fuel efficiency if your car is underperforming. You can check out our list of Top 7 Fuel Efficient Driving Tips (or one of the many other lists out there - here's Chevron's and here's one from Ecodriving USA).

The problem, though, is that if you don't track your gas mileage before and after you make a change it's often difficult to figure out exactly how big an impact, if any, the changes are having. Tracking your mileage fills this gap. It's a simple and easy way to see which changes are saving you money and which ones aren't. Without this feedback loop, you won't know which changes you should turn into habits.

#3 - "Houston, we have a problem"

A sudden and significant drop in your gas mileage is often an early indicator of a more serious problem. Keeping track of your gas mileage can often help you identify these problems earlier and prevent them from becoming more serious (and costly).

# 4 - Get "Real"

There are the official, government sanctioned fuel efficiency ratings (EPA in the US and NRC in Canada) and then there is what people experience in real-world driving conditions. Numerous studies suggest that real-world fuel efficiency is 5 - 20% lower than the official estimates (I can vouch for that). By sharing your mileage at Moblu, you'll be contributing to a real-time study of real-world fuel efficiency. Who knows, this "study" might even have an impact on how government agencies think about fuel efficiency standards (eg. CAFE - Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) and ratings....

# 5 - Help Others Without Hardly Trying

Sharing your mileage experience (good or bad) with others at Moblu can help get the "Awareness Effect" working for them and may even encourage them to try out a new fuel-saving tip or two.