Gas prices are already creeping to the $4 dollar mark, and motorists aren't the only ones cringing at the increase.

The city of Dothan is already pushing their fuel budget and we're not even in the dog days of summer.

However, a new plan could help alleviate some of the pain at the pump.

Workers at Dothan Utilities will soon have an extra day off.

City officials say it's all in an effort to conserve fuel.

Dothan City Manager Mike West says, "We are in line right now to overspend our budget about $700,000 dollars, and the last time I think their predicting $4 bucks a gallon by the middle of summer."

West says beginning June 1st, city employees will work four 10 hour days, as opposed to the current five, eight hour days.

"We will have skeleton crews for water and sewer and all those things on Fridays and we will obviously have people on call if a major emergency would occur," West continued.

And, this isn't the first time something like this has been implemented.

Dothan Utilities Director Billy Mayes says cutting the days and expanding the hours has worked rather well in the past. "Right after Hurricane Katrina, we did implement this and we did find that we did save fuel and we actually provided a little better service."

Mayes says the response he's seen from the employees also helps with the adjustment.

"Most of our employees like it,” Mayes says. “They like that extra day off and they save a little fuel too only coming in four days instead of five,” making the future change for the city and employees a win all around.

West says though the cost of fuel continues to affect the budget greatly; the city is actually using less fuel than when West started in 2004.

Beginning June 1st, city employees will begin their work day at 6AM and end at 4:30PM.

City officials say to keep an extra eye out for those working in the early and later parts of the day.