ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Again With The Gas...

I suspect - gee have I been learning a lot about this stuff lately - that the business does not run the cards directly through a bank, but an independent card service. I also suspect that the pumps choose 'debit' or 'credit' based upon whichever costs the business less in processing fees.

One would think that but debit cards are usually going to be cheaper. At virtually any retail outlet when the charge is going to be defined before the transaction starts it defaults to debit. When you pull that nozzle out they don't know how much gas you will pump and there is no way to get it back if you pump more than you have in the bank. That is why they will impound the total a pump will let you have until they get around to settling up, no matter what you pump.

Here, more for credit(even a debt card!!?)

That was also the way in the 80's. I thought we were beyond that, but with bank fees etc.....

I saw this AM that natural gas customers (North East) can expect a 20% increase this winter.
The only good thing... State law will not allow the utilities to cut power in the winter months.

The real sad thing about gas prices is rather it is fuel to get you to and from work or toilet paper to wipe you...er...nose, everything you pay for is effected by fuel prices.

even sadder.. there is no supply problem.
It's all speculation. Conservation will not make a dif...

It's all BS!! Capitalism at it's best. That's what the USA is founded on.

But aren't we all in it for the money?

I hate it too, but if I could I'd jack my rates. Problem is, no one else will so I'd be outa business.
Truth is their game plan is working, make us dependant on them and all we will need is them.

Well, lest we drift too far ...

There's no denying the impact the expenses are having on our businesses. Jobs we quoted at a decent price in April are coming due today - and we're losing money. That can't continue.

So ... how are you coping?

ME? It's getting tougher, at least copper has stabilized some what. More shopping now than ever.
Just hopping the "OK's" come in fast and can make the schedule.

I feel better now with a 30 day price lock than a year ago.

I guess it's just a matter of scale and one's perspective. There are a lot of people here in England who would regard your 2.4L "ute" as a gas guzzler. They complain about people driving a 2.0L Land Rover:

http://www.stopurban4x4s.org.uk/



Some people don't seem to realize that. I've heard people say, quite seriously, "Oh I don't drive so the prices don't affect me." Presumably they think that the goods they buy just magic themselves from place to place.

On the cash vs. credit card issue, I've never seen any filling station here posting different prices, but due to the merchant fees charged by the banks, many now have signs saying "Minimum credit card transaction £10," or something similar.

Sometimes you can even get fuel cheaper by using a card. Asda (big supermarket chain, now actually owned by WalMart) now has its own credit cards issued through an independent bank. It's normal MasterCard which can be used anywhere, but if you use the Asda card at an Asda filling station you get 2p/L off the pump price (about 15 cents per gallon).

Virginia voted last week to allow the local utility to raise their rates 18% My electric bills are going to jump about $50/month, now!

FPL just got a 15% increase. I think electricity is still a bargain compared to the alternatives.