These are the cheapest gas stations in the U.S. in 2024
Filling up your car at a cheaper gas station can add up to decent savings over a year. But which ones are consistently the cheapest? Read on to find out.
When you’re driving down the road and you notice that your car needs a fill-up you may begin to frantically search for the cheapest gas price available. It can be mindboggling sometimes to see a significant difference in the price of gas at one station compared to another during your search. This comes down to the economics of how gas stations operate but modern technology has come to the rescue to save you from wondering if you’ll get an even better deal a little bit further down the road.
Nowadays, there are several apps available that you can use to check the price of gas at nearby stations to see which one is the cheapest. But if you want consistent, significant savings you’ll most likely want to join one of the wholesale clubs to take advantage of their typically unbeatable prices.
What are the cheapest gas stations in the US?
No one gas station is guaranteed to always be the cheapest but because margins on gasoline are so slim, those retailers who can sell in volume can drastically undercut mom-and-pop gas stations. If you have a Costco near you and are a member, the wholesale retailer is considered to have the cheapest price at the pump. The Ascent broke down the numbers and calculated that “the typical driver can expect to save a little more than $100 per year” based on the a conservative $0.20 per gallon in savings compared to what you’d pay at traditional gas stations in the area.
Similar lower prices than at traditional gas stations in the are can be found at Sam’s Club and BJ’s, for which you also need a membership card to get the lower price. However, if none of these are available to you, or you don’t care for long lines at the pump, then you’ll want to consider using an app.
Best apps to find cheap gas
Most of the major gas station chains (Exxon, Murphy, Royal Farms and Speedway, to name a few) offer their own apps and reward programs. Certain Cash Back Credit Cards also put money back into your pocket when you fill up. However, you may just want to load an app onto your smartphone to be able to find the cheapest gas wherever you are.
GasBuddy
This crowd-sourced gas app tracks prices in real-time at over 150,000 gas stations in the US and Canada. You can use the app for free but if you sign up for an account and use the GasBuddy card you can earn GasBack rewards when you access exclusive deals with savings of up to 25 cents per gallon.
Upside
This is a free app that allows you earn cash back when you link a debit or credit card to your Upside Wallet and use Upside Pay for the transaction. The app will show you the gas prices nearby and then you have to claim (activate) the offer you like best. The cash you earn collects in an account and does not expire. Then once you’ve built up a certain amount you can cash out without incurring a fee, at least $10 to a bank account or $15 to a PayPal account.
Other ways to save on gas
Saving money on gas can also be achieved with some basic common sense. “A stitch in time, saves nine,” as the saying goes. In this case, maintenance can be key to saving money on your car and not just on gas.
Also your driving habits can have a big impact on how much fuel you consume, and how often you’ll be visiting the mechanic. Jack rabbit starts and braking heavily will cause your car to use more gas and wear down your brakes faster. And while the speed limit might allow it, going lighter on the gas pedal can add up to big savings too.
According to the UK Automobile Association, driving at 70 miles per hour versus 60 miles per hour will increase fuel consumption by 9 percent. Making the jump from 70 to 80 miles per hour you could be looking at going through 25 percent more fuel. Furthermore, driving faster causes more heat to build up in the rubber of your tires which in turn breaks them down more quickly.
So if you want to save money at the pump but you need help with remembering when to go in for a check-up or keeping tabs on your car’s fuel performance there’s an app for that too. You can check out Carfax Car Care that will give you service reminders and maintenance history as well as monitoring your true miles per gallon.