BOSTON — Technology is helping customers get smarter about when and where to buy fuel, a new study from Boston-based fuel-savings platform GasBuddy shows.
With prices about 50% higher than a year ago and gas forecast to possibly reach $4 per gallon in the coming months, drivers are looking to save anywhere and any way they can, and retailers should be aware of reports such as this that can influence customer buying habits.
GasBuddy’s study shows the best day of the week to save money is Monday because it offers the lowest average gas prices in most of the United States: 17 states, including Illinois, Michigan and Virginia. Monday was also the best day to buy gas on GasBuddy’s 2017, 2018 and 2019 studies.
Unlike previous years, however, in this new study, Friday became one of the cheapest days to buy gas in 2021. This trend refutes 2019’s results, which had Friday as one of the most expensive days at the pump. GasBuddy said this might be due to the Covid-19 pandemic and related work-from-home lifestyles.
The most expensive day to fill up is Thursday, coming in first place by far in 28 states, with Wednesday in second place, GasBuddy said, showing a new trend in 2021 where the middle of the week has become far more expensive to fill up than Mondays or Fridays. Previously, the weekend held the title for most expensive prices. For instance, in 2019’s study, Saturday was the worst day of the week in 16 states.
“When it comes to saving money at the pump, Monday becomes more than the dreaded end of the weekend,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “GasBuddy analyzed gas price data and found that the first day of the work week offers the lowest average gas price in 17 states, making it yet again the best day to fill up. Though there is variation in daily gas prices across different states, the consensus is that filling up at the beginning or end of the work week, on Monday or Friday, is the best way to save money. Following Monday, Sunday is the cheapest day to fill up. But even if you can’t always time your fillups, the golden rule is to always shop around before filling up.”
To conduct this study, GasBuddy analyzed gas price data from its app from Jan. 1 to Dec. 16, 2021.
Find individual state insights here.
Founded in 2000, GasBuddy allows users to locate gas stations based on fuel prices, location, ratings and reviews.
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