Is your state the gassiest? This graph over at Infrastructurist compares how much each gas each state uses per person. Green is low use, blue is moderate, and red is high. What’s interesting is when you look at each state’s fuel use per capita, “High-use states like New York actually have low per-capita usage, while states like Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, and North Dakota — all states with smaller populations and large distances required for drivers — have higher than average consumption.” [More]
Gas Prices On The Rise For No Good Reason
By April 5, 2010
Several states are reporting this morning that average gas prices have crept up slightly, despite the fact that oil consumption has dropped and refiners are operating below capacity. The Miami Herald blames the price creep on Wall Street speculators who are optimistic that the economy is getting better, which in turn will lead to increased gas consumption. [More]
Printer Ink Costs More Than GHB
By January 11, 2010
Dang, what doesn’t printer ink cost more than? If you answered “Thailand cobra venom,” you are correct! [More]
Gas Prices Have Jumped $0.20 In The Past Two Weeks
By October 26, 2009
Gas prices have spiked in the last two weeks, reaching levels last seen during the peak of the summer driving season, says the AP. The increase in gas prices has retailers worried that consumers who are putting more money in their gas tanks will buy fewer gifts during the upcoming holiday season.
Citi Mysteriously Closes Scads Of Mastercard Accounts Nationwide
By October 20, 2009
Without warning, Citi decided to close a swath of gas-station co-branded Mastercard accounts nationwide. The trouble seems to have started October 15. Quan was one of the affected customers and the credit card company was pretty disingenuous about it when called.
How To Save Money On Gas
By October 5, 2009
Thanks to insurance, auto loan payments and especially gas, it’s your car that owns you and not the other way around. Gas Buddy checks in with some tips on how to cut down on fuel costs.
Can You Save Money By Motorcycle Commuting? Not Really
By September 11, 2009
Sure, switching to a motorcycle or scooter for your highway commute might seem like a good idea, especially if you want to save gasoline and fantasize about gridlock-defying, illegal traffic maneuvers. But while motorcycle commuting has some good points, it probably isn’t going to save you much money over commuting by car.
WaPo Devotes Five Pages To Wawa/Sheetz Epic
By August 27, 2009
We thought our love for Wawa was deep and true, then we read this lengthy column in the Washington Post about people getting married at a Wawa or flocking to the stores on 9/11 to regain a sense of community and normalcy.
10 Things You Should Know About Gas Stations
By July 7, 2009
MSN Money has a list of 10 secrets about gas stations that could cost you money if you don’t know about them. The best ones are about why you shouldn’t use a debit card. For example, some stations will ask banks to place a hold on some of the cash in your account to cover your purchase, and won’t report the real purchase amount for a few days, leaving your cash in limbo.
Trade Your Clunker For These Sweet Fuel-Sipping Rides
By June 25, 2009
The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), popularly known as the “cash for clunkers” program, starts next month. Need help picking a suitably fuel-efficient car?
Watered-Down Gasoline Damages Cars Near Baltimore
By June 18, 2009
Rain water, not fraud or sabotage, is behind the bad gasoline sold at stations near Baltimore early this week. Hess, the supplier, is covering any damage to customers’ cars caused by the diluted fuel. So, how does this happen?
If Gas Prices Fly As Expected, Busineses Need To Ground Themselves To Avoid Crashing
By June 15, 2009
Things that are headed up these days: unemployment, foreclosures, adorable Pixar characters whose houses are attached to helium ballons, Daisuke Matsuzaka’s ERA and, argh, gas prices. A Russian energy group is predicting oil, which is currently just over $70 a barrel, will eventually pierce the stratosphere at $250, meaning it’ll pretty much be Mad Max time for everyone.
Shell Introduces Ice Cream That You Can Grill With
By June 12, 2009
It looks like Shell has finally figured out a way to combine the awesomeness of ice cream with the grilling power of propane. It probably doesn’t taste very good, though. (Thanks to swarrior216!)
BP Points Out Their Gas Same Price Whether Cash Or Credit
By June 9, 2009
Spotted this sign on a Brooklyn BP gas pump last night, taking pains to point out that they are charging customers the same price whether they use cash or credit. Interesting, because last year around this time we ran a few stories about gas stations who doing the opposite. The thing is, credit card companies charge merchants various transaction fees to process the cards. If retailers can’t assess those fees to the customers who actually incur them, the business has to raise prices on everything for everyone.
Grocery Shrink Ray Extends To Propane Refills
By May 25, 2009
When the cost of propane shot up to $1.70 or more per gallon last year, propane dealers quietly cut the amount they were putting into refilled tanks without telling customers. Now the cost of propane is under a dollar per gallon, but retailers aren’t increasing the amount back to previous levels.
Costco Might Fix Hot Fuel Ripoff
By April 28, 2009
Vermonters get a better deal on gas than Texans. Fuel expands in the heat and shrinks in the cold, so 5 gallons of “hot fuel” won’t get your car as far as 5 gallons of regular. Oilmen know this, and that’s why at various points in the supply chain volume gets adjusted for the industry standard temperature of 60° F. The retail pump isn’t one of them. That might start to change if a proposed class-action lawsuit settlement with Costco as a defendant goes through. Under the terms, Costco would fix its pumps in the bottom half of the country so that they dispense fuel at 60° F. If it goes through, it would be a precedent-setting consumer victory. After all, you want a Tiger in your tank, not a Heat Miser, don’t you?
