(June 6, 2008) -- The Alliance to Save Energy and 17 additional diverse public and private-sector partners are launching the Drive $marter Challenge, a fuel-efficiency campaign to help U.S. consumers lower their gasoline costs by using less.
     The campaign offers effective money and gas-saving tips in English and Spanish, and extensive additional resources – all aimed at keeping more money in drivers’ pockets and reducing the number of costly trips to the pump.
     The unique Drive $marter Challenge campaign features many creative elements, including an interactive website, cards, humorous radio public service ads, a Driving and Saving jingle, and mobile marketing.
     In addition, campaign partners and other supporters will be broadly disseminating campaign tips and resources. With the summer driving season about to begin, the campaign is timely in helping consumers, who are seeing their family budgets eroded by high gas prices.
     All this information can reduce consumers’ gas costs by hundreds of dollars yearly from the whopping $3,400 that the average U.S. household is projected to spend this year to fuel its vehicles.
     The campaign has the only interactive website (www.drivesmarterchallenge.org) with a calculator allowing drivers to enter specific data on their vehicle (make, model, year, cylinders) and find out exactly how much money they can save with up to six easy vehicle maintenance and sensible driving steps.
     To highlight the campaign’s social aspect, the calculator also displays a running tally of the cumulative money, gallons, and CO2 emission savings of everyone who has “taken the Challenge” by pledging to follow through on any or all of those fuel-saving steps.
     The calculator thus demonstrates that even small fuel-efficiency steps by large numbers of people add up to measurable benefits. As a reward, each visitor committing to the Challenge can download one or more money-saving coupons for vehicle maintenance products – including oxygen sensors, air filters, and spark plugs – redeemable at AutoZone, a campaign partner.
     The campaign website also features links to extensive resources ranging from where to find the cheapest local gas to information on public transportation, biking, car sharing, and carpooling.
     The National Association of Counties (NACo), a campaign partner, is challenging its members to see which county in each of three population size categories can get the highest percentage of residents to take the Drive $marter Challenge.
     Auto Zone will give each of the three winning county municipalities 1,000 bottles of Fuel Additive/Cleaner – products applied to the fuel system to help vehicles be more fuel-efficient. Anson County is participating.
     The Alliance to Save Energy and their 17 campaign partners are joining together in helping American families cut their vehicle fuel costs. On a broader scale, the campaign will enhance U.S. energy security by reducing dependence on imported oil, and it will improve the global environment by reducing CO2 emissions.
     Get involved in the Drive Smarter Campaign. Spread the Drive $marter message and encourage neighbors and employees to access www.drivesmarterchallenge.org to learn how they can save money by being more fuel efficient.
     The preceding information was provided and distribution requested by The Alliance to Save Energy, a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy, and national security.