Web Site Helps Compare Gasoline Prices

PHILADELPHIA – Hate it when you fill ‘er up and, five minutes later, spot another station selling gas for a nickel a gallon cheaper?

Jason Toews, a 30-year-old computer programmer from the Minneapolis suburbs, hated it even more when he couldn’t find an easy way to shop around.

“I even tried calling up some of the stations to find out what their prices are and they usually didn’t like to tell you over the phone,” he said. “They think it’s one of their competitors.”

Toews started the nonprofit GasBuddy Organization Inc. four years ago with a friend, chronicling regular unleaded prices in the Twin Cities. The site was so successful that he and co-founder Dustin Coupal, an ophthalmologist, expanded nationwide.

Now, the gasbuddy.com portal links to 173 price comparison Web sites with names like phillygasprices.com, wichitagasprices.com and miamigasprices.com, with 50 more local sites coming online this fall.

Price-sensitive motorists are flocking to the Internet to shave their gas bills