MyGallons Lets You Lock in Gas Price

MyGallons.com promises that users can buy gas at today’s price and fill up in the future. Once the service is completely up and running (right now, you can reserve an account but not yet use it), users create an account, receive a MyGallons card, and check the web site for the current price of gas. You’ll be able to click a button to prepay for as many gallons of gas as you like.

The prices quoted on MyGallons are all regular unleaded. If you fill up with premium or diesel, the company will adjust your balance to account for that. If you’re out of town and the price of a gallon of gas is significantly lower — or higher — than your hometown price, MyGallons will adjust for that, too.

A program like MyGallons is designed to hopefully save you money — not gas. Having a prepaid fuel-only card will not improve your fuel economy. You may in fact get worse mileage out of your car if you drive like you know you paid less for that tank of gas.

Something to keep in mind: Tara Baukus Mello, lead analyst for the NADA Guides, told me in an interview that they don’t expect gas prices to rise any more this year, and they may even drop a little. Not a lot, but a little. With the price of gas in such flux, I’d check my crystal ball twice before prepaying for gas.