New Shell Promo to Give Free Fuel for a Year to 10 Winners

HOUSTON -- Although gas prices have shrunk somewhat during the past week, they still remain higher than in recent years. With that in mind, Shell launched its "Favorite Road Trip Sweepstakes," whereby the petroleum company will randomly select 10 customers to receive free fuel for a year.

To enter, consumers need to submit a short story about their favorite road trip or favorite memory of their time on the road. Every week until the sweepstakes ends on Sept. 5, one winner will be selected to win a year’s supply of free Shell Nitrogen Enriched gasoline. Daily winners also will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Shell gift card.

In conjunction with the sweepstakes launch, Shell, with assistance from www.fuelecomony.gov and www.toptiergas.com, also unveiled five summer tips to help consumers save money on fuel costs:

1. Avoid excess weight. One hundred pounds of excess weight stored in the car can reduce gasoline mileage up to 2 percent.

2. Properly inflate tires. Keeping tires at the correct pressure can improve gasoline mileage by up to 3.3 percent.

3. Avoid the highs and find the lows. Try to avoid driving during rush hours. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower gasoline mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent at lower speeds.

4. Use the recommended grade of oil. Look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to ensure it contains friction-reducing additives. The manufacturer’s recommended oil can improve gas mileage by 1 to 2 percent.

5. Use a high-quality gasoline that improves engine performance while driving. Six of the world’s top automakers have designated the voluntary Top Tier Detergent Gasoline Standard, designed to help protect engine parts from accumulating gunk that can damage performance.