For those that do not know and more so if you see it occuring - Gas Stations are
not allowed to raise (or lower) their prices within a 24 hr time period in NJ (some other States also have similar or applicable laws). If you see this being done by certain stations, what they are doing is illegal and can be reported to the NJ Office of Weights & Measures. If that Dept. finds the Station is tampering with or changing their costs illegally - the Station can be fined and in certain instances, even shut down.
http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/owm.htm
With the rising costs of fuel, when you fuel up - always be aware of:
The proper price being charged on your receipt against the posted price of X-octane fuel you purchased
If you ask for X-amount of gallons (instead of filling up), be sure you ARE getting the correct amount of gallons
If you are using a Debit or Credit card, be sure the Attendant is NOT double swiping your card...
Most Stations will have current NJ Dept. Office of Weights & Measures certificate decals affixed to their pumps (every station HAS to have the decal, it's the law). If you have any doubt about the station, it's fueling ethics or other shady stuff - see if those decals are current, outdated and/or possibly missing from the pumps. If missing or outdated, report to Weights & Measures.
Be sure that you KNOW the difference between a CASH price and CREDIT pricing... Many Stations today will post the lower price and in very small print you will notice is says "Cash Only" - and the next price, usually nearly .08-.10+ higher will have fine print that says "Credit". Many folks pull into a station and think they are getting a deal on the fuel due to the lower price, only to be duped into the "Credit" price when paying via credit/debit cards... Always check the signage AND your receipts.
If paying cash, be sure the attendant pumps the complete $X.xx or $XX.xx amount into your vehicle and does not cut you short.
If your vehicle owner's manual states the car will run perfectly fine on regular fuel (usually 87 octane) - use regular and save yourself some $$$... (more so if you drive daily 5-7 days a week and accrue more miles than average drivers). Most folks think they *need* to fill their vehicles w/ "high octane" fuel, when the fact of the matter is - many of today's vehicles, even some sports or performace vehicles can and will drive perfectly fine on "regular" fuel as they were designed to do (so check your owner's manual). Don't get me wrong, not ALL vehicles are supposed to use regular fuel, but as I said, open up your owner's manual and read... also, do yourself some research about fuel octanes, etc. and you will be surprised at what you can find out.
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Always maintain proper tire inflation psi for your vehicle. The tire inflation label is usually found within the glovebox, or secured to the B-pillar on either driver or passenger door entry. Tire pressures can change, even if there is no leakage.
Maintain vehicle through regular maintenance intervals (oil changes, changing air filters, etc). Cleaner running vehicles will be more efficient than those that are neglected.