Holy Cow have you Seen the GAS PRICES??

I love that one commercial when the guy says, I just open up my wallet and say here it is guys, please take it. Ok, I don't think that's an exact quote and I have no idea what they were selling :) however, it seems pretty accurate lately. I know I am in the market for a car and hope to be driving one by the start of the summer. My minivan getting 16 mpgs just isn't cutting it these days - especially when I think about all the driving I do as a buyer's agent!

So I thought I would share a few informative emails I received within the last month .... hope this information helps someone!

1 - This a list to download and share of environmentally sound and common sense ways to save money at the pump ... Save Money and Save Gas

2 - These are 2 websites that let you compare prices for gas in your local area by zip code:

• GasBuddy.com
• MSN Autos

3 - Senator Bruno has been working for lowering the gas tax and he says "With gasoline prices now approaching or even exceeding $4 per gallon, the Senate has approved my plan to provide much needed relief at the gas pump by suspending New York State's gasoline taxes during the summer travel season. The legislation would eliminate the New York State taxes on gasoline from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and would save New Yorkers approximately 32 cents per gallon in state gasoline taxes. If the federal, State and local governments all temporarily suspended their taxes, New Yorkers would save 65 cents per gallon at the pump. It also authorizes strict anti-price gouging penalties for gas station owners and gasoline distributors who don't pass along the savings from this initiative so New Yorkers get the relief they need and deserve. In the absence of any comprehensive federal energy policy, New York State must do its part to ease the pain at the pump. To read more about my plan to lower your gas prices, click here. I will continue to fight to provide real relief from skyrocketing costs at the gas pump, and I urge the Assembly and the Governor to join me in this effort."

4 - These are tips on how to get the most at the pump ...

• 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 in 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 other 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 mone
• 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.