Save money at the Gas Pump

The price of gas is obscenely high.   I find it VERY hard to believe that the cost of oil and gas production has increased so much in the last two years that it would justify raising the price of gas almost $2.00 a gallon in just two years.  It makes me sick to pay so much.  In 1987 I moved to Dallas and I remember it used to cost me $12.00 to fill up my car.  I still drive the same kind of car today (but probably more fuel efficient that my 1980’s  model) and now it costs me close to $40 to fill up.   Thats more than triple in around 20 years.  Here are a few really good tips on how to save money on gasoline.  These days every penny counts.  If you start doing these filling up techniques, you will get more gas for your money and, of course,  it costs you nothing.  Be smart.  Fill up using these techniques:

Only buy or   fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.  A 1-degree rise i n temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. 

When you’re filling up  do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode.   If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping.  All hoses at the pump have a vapor return.  If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor.   Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.   

One of the most important tips is to  fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL.   The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space.  Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine.  Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof.  This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.

Another reminder,   if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas,  DO NOT fill up –most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.