A recent AP-Yahoo News poll indicates that nine out of 10 Americans say they expect rising gas prices to cause financial hardships over the next six months.

"If you are one of the majority looking to squeeze as much value as possible from what you pay at the pump, be sure to check your vehicle's engine air filter annually, and if it is dirty, replace it," says Ramon Nunez, Director of Filtration for Bosch. Bosch is the joint venture owner of Purolator, a leading supplier of filters to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket in North America.

According to the United States Department of Energy, replacing a clogged air filter improves a car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. And, because it keeps impurities from entering the engine, it also protects against long-term damage to the inside of the engine.

A clogged or restricted air filter is likely to hinder airflow and draw contaminants into the engine. In today's finely tuned fuel injected systems, this not only leads to poor fuel economy but causes premature wear to the fuel injectors and moving components in the engine.

"For example, Purolator's PureONE air filter is 99.5 percent efficient," Nunez said, "and its specially engineered, oil-wetted filtration media offers twice the capacity of conventional filters to trap harmful contaminants that can enter and damage a vehicle's engine. This, ultimately, helps to improve the performance characteristics of a vehicle as well as its gas mileage."

Consider the numbers. The average motorist drives approximately 12,000 miles per year. The average car gets about 20 miles per gallon and therefore, uses 600 gallons of gas a year. At $4 per gallon, this is equivalent to $2,400 per year. A 10 percent saving is equivalent to $240 per year or approximately $20 per month. An average air filter costs $15 to $20 at retail. Whether you get the service done by an automotive repair technician or choose to do it yourself, you can recover the money spent in no more than just a couple of months!