NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The summer is coming and summer travel plans are being made. In fact, last summer, Americans made more than 230 million trips 50 miles or more away from their home.

And this year the pace is not expected to slow down -- though it will be more expensive. Gas in June is expected to average $2.03 a gallon, according to the latest forecast from the government's Energy Information Administration.

What can you do to be prepared? Here are five tips.

We are now approaching crisis mode, according to Robert Sinclair, spokesman for the AAA. Rising crude oil prices, higher consumption by consumers and inadequate refinery capacity are contributing to high gas prices.

Summer travel plans are being made and gas prices continue to rise. CNNfn's Gerri Willis shares five tips on summer gas savings. Play video (Real or Windows Media)

And now, as the summer approaches, add two more things to the mix that could create a "perfect storm."

First, reformulated gasoline, or RFG, is gasoline blended to burn cleaner and reduce smog and toxic pollutants during the summer months. The problem is, RFG is more complicated to refine and therefore, more expensive. Typically that cost is passed onto the consumer.

Currently, there are 18 states plus several individual cities and counties that require the use of reformulated gas beginning on June 1. These areas are either required to use the gas by the Clean Air Act or have elected to do so to help reduce pollution. Click to check out the American Petroleum Institute's Web site for more information.

June 1, 1995 was the first year the mandate was implemented though in 2000 the regulations became even stricter. The mandate remains in place through the late fall each year. After that, the refineries switch back to the winter grades -- depending on the section of the country you live in.

Just how much does reformulated gas add to your gas bill? In past years it has ranged from an estimated 5.4 to 7.4 cents more per gallon.

Second, weather patterns play a big role in refinery activity. Sinclair says the National Weather Service is predicting a particularly bad year for hurricanes, and refineries tend to be sprinkled through hurricane country in the southeast, with the biggest one in Mississippi. As a result, you'll want to try to take measures as a consumer before prices spike any further.

If you're like most Americans, you now spend more than $1,000 at the pump each year.

And with rising gas prices, that number is set to increase. The Web is a great resource for finding the cheapest gas prices as well as information on what the trend is.

www.Fuelgaugereport.com is where the AAA gives consumers a reading of the current national averages. And www.fuelcostcalculator.com is the Web site where AAA helps you calculate the estimated fuel cost of a particular trip.

On this site you can plug in your starting city and destination, plus your vehicle make and model. The site will then calculate the distance of your trip, the number of gallons of gas you will use and the cost.

Through www.gasbuddy.com you can log onto more than 170 Web sites around the U.S. and in Canada that help consumers find cheap gas prices. Each site has a live forum for consumers to post local low and high gas prices they have found.

For example, click on New York and you are connected to NewYorkGasPrices.com, BuffaloGasPrices.com, AlbanyGasPrices.com, etc. Click on Texas and AustinGasPrices.com will pop up as well as DallasGasPrices.com and HoustonGasPrices.com.

Gasbuddy says there are 90,000 stations entered per week on its sites. Other sites include www.fuelmeup.com and www.gaspricewatch.com. Currently on gaspricewatch you'll see the highest gas price in the nation is $2.79 per gallon in San Diego, Ca. and the cheapest is $1.53 in Northfield, NJ.

Once you're at the pump, if your vehicle's engine does not need premium fuel, using anything other than regular is simply a waste of money.

The AAA says so-called "premium" gasoline accounts for one out of every five gallons pumped in the U.S. -- even though only about 10 percent of the cars on the road actually require higher octane gas.

Do not be tricked by the word "superior." Premium gas isn't necessarily superior to regular gas, as the word implies. Premium gas simply has a higher octane, meaning a slower burn rate.

Now, some engines require this type of gasoline but it will say so in the owner's manual. If it doesn't, then regular unleaded will do the trick. Don't be fooled. Premium gas will not get you better mileage or more power.

Secondly, join the growing group of consumers who believe that gasoline is gasoline is gasoline. Only about 30 percent of drivers remain loyal to a particular brand, compared with 38 percent back nine years ago.

The truth is that all companies share the same refineries and are required to achieve certain standards as required by the federal government. Besides stricter government regulation, big name oil companies have also moved away from advertising that their brands are better than their competitors. The Federal Trade Commission forced them to pull the ads since they didn't have the evidence to back them up.

The AAA says as a general rule of thumb, especially now, the cheapest gas is the best.

The national average for vehicle fuel efficiency is 24.4 miles per gallon, that's the lowest since 1986-1987 when the average for all passenger cars was 25.9 miles per gallon.

Meanwhile, 65 percent of U.S. households own two or more vehicles. And 40 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, making it difficult to budget rising gas prices into their costs.

With this being the case, driving more sensibly can help you conserve gas. Aggressive driving, including speeding and rapid acceleration and braking, wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent when driving at highway speeds and by 5 percent when cruising around town.

In fact, this 5 to 33 percent is equivalent to gasoline savings of 7 to 49 cents a gallon. Observing the speed limit can also help. Gas mileage decreases quickly at speeds above 60 mph. For each 5 mph driven over 60 mph, you'll pay an additional 10 cents per gallon.

Using cruise control on the highway helps maintain a constant speed that can help you save gas. Also, take the time to clean out that trunk before a big trip. The heavier the load in your car, the more gasoline used.

And, keep in mind, with the summer upon us, use the air conditioner sparingly. The A/C puts more force on the engine, forcing more fuel to be used -- about 20 percent more.

You may even consider taking it a step further. If you are planning to buy a new car this spring consider a lighter color that won't attract as much heat. It is also key to take responsibility for the car itself. Anything from a filthy air filter to under-pumped tires can put a strain on your engine. AAA estimates that a driver can burn about $90 a year just by neglecting his/her tires. The rounder the tire, the less energy it requires to roll.

As we've been telling you, the situation for the consumer is expected to get worse before we see any relief.

This is worrisome especially since a recent survey (March 2004) by CNW Marketing Research, says about a third of consumers would consider "eventually" buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle if gas prices hit $3.25 a gallon. But not until gas spiked to $3.75 a gallon would a third of those surveyed says they would "immediately" purchase a more fuel-efficient car.

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Travel Oil and Gas Personal finance Gerri Willis or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?

Why not take action to protect yourself against rising prices sooner than later? Ask around at work if anyone is interested in carpooling. Also, check with your employer if telecommuting, even one day a week, is an option.

If you feel it's time to purchase a more fuel-efficient car, log onto fueleconomy.gov where you can find gas mileage estimates for several makes and models, including hybrids. Don't forget, the federal government allows you to take tax breaks when you buy a hybrid. But you better do it soon, because those breaks are scheduled to phase out 2007.

Gerri Willis is a personal finance editor for CNN Business News. Willis also is co-host of CNNfn's The FlipSide, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET). E-mail comments to 5tips@cnnfn.com.