Northern Illinois Sports Beat: Summertime Means Summer Leagues, Rising Fuel Prices

Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com

Another Confusing Cody Column

Summertime Means
Summer Leagues,
Rising Fuel Prices

The trend looks to be more travel equals more expensive
fuel. As the summer months approach, here are some tips to
prevent hassles while you're filling up your tank en route to
your summer sports event ...

The United-Dakota Super-Sectional softball game, held in Dakota, had been
postponed two days in a row due to Mother Nature prior to last Wednesday.

After hearing that Monday's game was postponed, a United fan turned around and
filled his fuel tank at the East End Shell in Sterling. He got a call from Sterling's
police department a couple of hours later informing him that he had forgot to pay
for his fuel.

On his way up to Dakota on Wednesday, he stopped by the gas station to write a
check for what he forgot to pay.

“I thought I paid with my card,” the man said to the clerk. “But (the purchase)
wasn't on my statement.”

Gas prices have risen about 10 cents each week since early May. As prices rise,
so do the number of people who “drive off” without paying for their fuel.

As a lot of fans are making trips to summer league events, and baseball and
softball state and sectional games, it is important to remind those in a hurry about
their fuel purchases.

Plastic at the Pump

If you are paying at the pump with any type of card, please make sure you get a
receipt. It's the only way you know the transaction took place. If you do not get a
receipt at the pump, one should be given to you directly from the clerk.

Know your debit balance before pumping fuel with a debit card. If your balance is
under $100, it is best to pump your fuel first, and then pay inside. This may seem
like a hassle to you – all those feet you have to walk to go, gulp, inside the store –
but this works best in the long run. Some stations place a “hold” on your bank
account when using debit outside. This is to assure you don't run negative in your
account. The station, and your bank, doesn't know how much to charge you until
after your fill your tank.

When prices are on the rise, many stations provide re-training to their employees
on how to avoid drive-offs. Since the retraining is becoming more current (in the
high-two-dollar range), clerks have a better chance at catching someone drive off.
Just because you do not see a security camera on the canopy, doesn't mean you
are not being watched.

If the stripe on your card is gold-on-gold (ex. American Express Gold) or silver-on-
silver (ex. Citi MasterCard), your card may not be readable on older pumps. Take
the effort to make sure your card reads and your transaction official.

Some stations may be verbally approving your pump before they turn it on. Some
statements may be something like, “Pump three, your pump is on. Please pay
inside when you are done.” If your thinking, “No, I put my card in. Your wrong!”
then you really are wrong. Never just assume your card has been read by the
machine. Take the time to make sure your card was read. Half of reported drive-
offs are by those who simply assumed their card was read, but was not.

Where to Get the Best Bargain

Copy this to your favorites: http://www.illinoisgasprices.com/

This website, a product of GasBuddy.com, displays fuel prices at many stations.
They are reported by individuals who have a user account with the website.
Therefore, not all stations are displayed on it. Still, the website is a good place to
scout prices when going on a road trip.

Most of the cheapest fuel is found in central-to-southern Illinois. The expensive
fuel is found in the Chicago suburbs.

When it comes to northern Illinois, Ottawa usually has the cheapest fuel. If you can
plan your trip, and fuel tank, accordingly, you can fill up in town. Oglesby and
Galesburg are also usually cheap. DeKalb, Rochelle and Rockford tend to be
more expensive.

The suburbs can be tricky when it comes to fuel prices. Don't assume that the
outer rim of suburbs (Channahon, Crete, St. Charles and Woodstock, for example)
will be cheaper than a station in DuPage or Lake County. During a North Avenue
drive this week, I saw a 2.79 in St. Charles first, then a 2.89, 2.75, 2.79, then 2.76
in Elmhurst. There have been times where the outer suburbs have been cheaper
than places between them and Interstate 39.

A Valero station in Hammond, Ind. was at 2.65 on Tuesday, while a station in
Calumet City was at 2.94. The difference may be good for close driving, but driving
too far to get cheap gas may not be worth it.

Clinton, Iowa has been a popular spot for northwest Illinois drivers to fill up at.
Some come from more than 30 miles just to get that price difference.

Say someone drives to Clinton from 30 miles away to fill up the tank. The vehicle
runs at 30 miles per gallon. The difference in price is 30 cents, from $3.69 to
$3.39. The difference in filling a 15-gallon tank is roughly $4.50: $55.35 at $3.69,
and $50.85 at $3.39. It takes one gallon of gas to get back home, so that lowers
the savings to just over one dollar. Since 30 miles per gallon is considered above-
average, anything less will diminish the savings even further. Plus, you've burned
a gallon getting there.

There are also certain places with fine print. Most displayed prices in the Rockford
area may be lower than what you actually pay. Certain Shell and Road Ranger
stations have a cash discount for that method of payment. Doing an ATM withdraw
will not be worth it due to ATM fees. Certain Phillips 66 stations display a price
about 10 cents cheaper than the next station over. However, the discount is only if
you purchase a car wash at the station.

Other display quirks involve the new all-electronic signs that display only one price.
These stations follow a ten-cent increment on higher octane fuels. Another
deceiving display is the one for E-85 FlexFuel. This is cheaper than regular fuel,
but it can only be used in certain engines. Check your vehicle's manual to see if
the engine is capable of running on that fuel.

Cody Cutter is the Publisher of Northern Illinois Sports Beat, and writes columns
about Illinois high school sports. He can be reached at
Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com.

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