Buzz
Although gas prices have dropped from the record-breaking national average of over $5 per gallon last year, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the current rate of $3.71 per gallon remains significant. Fortunately, technology offers solutions to help locate the best gas deals. Apps such as Waze utilize crowdsourced data to display fuel prices at stations along your route, enabling you to choose the most economical option when your tank is running low.
How Waze Helps You Locate the Most Budget-Friendly Gas Stations
Begin by downloading Waze to your device if it’s not already installed. Once you access the map, there are several ways to find inexpensive gas. To locate a station along your driving route, input your destination address in the search bar. You can then add a stop by selecting the gas station icon, which will provide a list or map view of nearby stations with updated fuel prices, including the time of the latest price update.
If you wish to explore gas prices without tying them to a particular driving route, simply enter “gas station” into the search bar.
You can customize your default gas station search preferences, such as filtering by fuel type or brand, by navigating to My Waze > Settings > Gas stations.
(Keep in mind that gas prices are crowdsourced, so they may not always reflect the most recent updates.)
Other Options Besides Waze to Locate Affordable Gas
We’ve previously discussed several methods to identify the most economical gas stations nearby. Google Maps enables you to search for fuel stations or explore a map area to view nearby locations, complete with current per-gallon prices, when available. You can also filter results to show only stations that are currently open. Since many of us already have Google Maps installed on our phones, there’s no need to download an additional app. (Apple Maps users, however, won’t have access to this feature, as the app only displays gas station locations without price details.)
If you’re open to downloading another app, GasBuddy provides real-time prices and nearby station locations. You can refine your search by specific brands or use the app to plan the most fuel-efficient route for your journey. Additionally, some stations allow you to pay for gas directly through the app.
