Stamford Drivers Cap Their Gas Spending

When Mark Bishop fills up at the Citgo Station on Hope Street in Stamford, he lets the pump to run to $30 and shuts it off. This strategy keeps gas in his car and his finances in order, he says.

“There is a set amount I put in and I don’t go over $30,” Bishop says as he fills up his Audi.

Jeffrey O’Brien, owner of Jeffrey O’Brien Lawn, Tree & Shrub Care, has instituted an $80 cap for his business vans, even though it takes about $135 to fill them up (depending on the price). In addition to the cap, he tries not to use his diesel pickup truck, opting instead for the cheaper-to-drive, gasoline-consuming vans.

“[Gas prices] are absolutely out of control,” says O’Brien, joking about not paying his mortgage to afford gas.

The current average price of regular in Connecticut is $4.10 a gallon. It has risen from about $3.73 a gallon since the end of March, ConnecticutGasPrices.com says. The price remains much higher than the U.S. average, which has risen from $3.53 a gallon to about $3.82, the website reports.

The Citgo Station where both men filled up Wednesday is tied for second cheapest in Stamford, with regular going for $4.11 a gallon, ConnecticutGasPrices.com says. Only the Citgo Station on Glenbrook Road and Crescent Street is cheaper at $4.09 per gallon. One of the seven Shell stations in Stamford has raised the price of premium to $4.99 a gallon, CBS New York says.

What are you doing to offset rising gas prices? Share your strategies below or e-mail reporter Anthony Buzzeo at tbuzzeo@mainstreetconnect.us. 

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