As gas prices have been steadily rising , we thought we would share an article by the Curbside TV publisher, which could answer some questions you may have, as you drive by a “discount” gas station.
With gas prices rising is it worth the money to buy brand name fuel? As the price of fuel starts to inch upward in anticipation of the summer driving season, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about which gasoline is the right choice. People are asking whether they should buy “brand name” gasoline or fuel from cheaper providers.
According to the Department of Energy, all gasoline is refined through the same process and must meet the same set of federal standards. The so-called no-name stations purchase their gas from whatever supplier is the cheapest at the time, so there are plenty of occasions in which the no-name station is filling their tanks with name-brand gas. It’s just that they are not allowed to advertise the brand.
Also, the brand and grade of gasoline you purchase this week from that discounter may not be the same as what you get next week.
That said, there is a group of gasoline retailers that has pledged to meet a set of increased standards known as top-tier detergent gasoline. Top-tier retailers have gone through a certification process that proves they’ve increased the amount of detergent additives in their gasoline beyond Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Some people feel the increase in additives leads to higher-quality gasoline because detergent additives are supposed to provide optimal performance and decrease engine deposits.
Finally, be careful about what you think of as no-name gas. Some of these top-tier retailers — there were 22 at press time — are name-brand companies such as Chevron Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell, while others would likely be perceived by some as no-name companies, for instance Kwik Trip Inc. and Mileage Stations.
With the cost of repairing or replacing a fuel injector in the hundreds of dollars, it can make sense to use a higher quality fuel to keep these systems running at optimal levels.
However, buying a grade of fuel higher than what is recommended in your vehicle’s owner’s manual is a pure waste of money unless you’re experiencing knocking, pinging or other troublesome behavior from your engine. In other words, if your vehicle owner’s manual recommends regular-grade gasoline, stick with that. There will be no benefit to moving up a grade.
We also have a dozen tips for saving gasoline on the site which could be more effective than even buying cheaper gasoline.
