Cheap gas? Visit AAA

Like really good candy, the location of the gas station with the cheapest prices is something one passes on only to good friends and family.

The secret's out.

AAA Utah announced Thursday it has launched a new Web-based service, at www.aaa.com/gasprices, that is designed to help motorists find the cheapest gasoline, based on data it gleans from more than 85,000 gas stations nationwide.

"From the reactions we've gotten to our (monthly) gas price reports, we know that people are interested in this," said Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA Utah. "Especially now, it is an important factor as people try to work out their budgets, and we have the access to the information. So we wanted to offer this service to the public."

As oil prices continue to rise — light sweet crude for July delivery rose $1.01 to settle at $56.58 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange Thursday — it's a site that's sure to see its share of traffic.

The Web site lets users search for self-service gas stations by ZIP code, or city and state, returning results for stations within a three-, five- or 10-mile radius.

The page displays a map of the area and the service stations, as well as a list of the stations with their fuel prices, street addresses and availability of diesel fuel.

The AAA Fuel Finder is not the first Web site offering information on local and national prices. Others include www.utahgasguide.com; www.utahgasprices.com and its parent, www.gasbuddy.com; and www.gaswatch.org, which provides information on U.S., Canadian and other international fuel prices.

Fairclough said that the AAA system is unique in that it utilizes AAA's "steady, reliable data" from the 85,000 participating stations. The service is fairly new, however, having just come through beta-testing.

About 20 percent of the fuel finder data is from the previous night's input to AAA, she said. The remainder of the data is two to four days old.

"We're continually trying to get the data faster, in a more timely fashion," Fairclough said. "And keep in mind, this is just one tool to help consumers find the best fuel prices."

According to AAA's June gas prices survey, released earlier this week, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Utah was $2.22, 8 cents lower than it was in mid-May. In Salt Lake City, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas fell 7 cents to $2.15, while in Provo it dropped 6 cents to $2.19. Ogden reported an average price of $2.20 per gallon.

Nationwide, AAA reported that the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel as of mid-month was $2.13, down 3 cents per gallon from the average price in May. A year ago, the average price was $1.99 per gallon.

In addition to the fuel finder, the AAA Web site also offers a fuel cost calculator, which helps travelers estimate their fuel costs based on miles traveled and vehicle model.

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E-mail: jnii@desnews.com