A/C - The Gas Hog
Air conditioning requires a lot of power. Use it sparingly.
Driving at city speeds, you’ll save fuel by using your flow through vents and opening windows. At highway speeds, whether A/C is more or less efficient than opening windows will depend on the speed, your vehicle’s aerodynamics and A/C design.
If you have to use the air conditioner, set the air flow to recirculate and manually turn the A/C on and off as needed. For greater efficiency, switch it on when under light engine loads or deceleration fuel cut off and off when under moderate/heavy loads. (Note: some newer vehicles do this automatically.)
Parking in the shade will keep the inside of your vehicle cooler, which can help you minimize use of air conditioning.
They work surprisingly well as an alternative to (or defer the use of) air conditioning, by letting air flow behind & beneath you. They keep you from sticking to your seat, and your clothes from sticking to you.
Other non-A/C options include ice vests and DIY ice water A/C units.
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