Study: Drivers wasting money at the pump

It’s a mistake millions of Americans are making, and it could be costing you money every time you hit the pump. It turns out that more expensive premium gasoline might not be worth the extra cash.

According to AAA spokesperson Marie Dodds, in 2016, 1.5 million cars that recommend premium gasoline were sold. AAA ran a study to see if it was really necessary to spring for premium, instead of opting for regular.

Both types of fuels were put into a variety of cars that recommended the use of premium gas. Any benefits they saw were small or non-existent. Bottom line, Dodds said — it’s not worth the extra money.

“Premium gas costs on average about 25 percent more than regular gas. It’s about 50 cents a gallon more,” Dodds said Thursday during a visit to Bend. “So if you’re filling up, and you get 12 gallons, you’re talking about $6 of savings if you use regular, compared to premium.”

Dodds said the takeaway is, if your car “recommends” premium, you’re better off sticking with regular. But if it “requires” premium, you should definitely follow that guideline.

More information can be found at the link below:

http://gasprices.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Premium-Fuel-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

Do you think premium gas is worth the extra cash? Weigh in at our KTVZ.COM Poll, halfway down the right side of our home page.