If you live in Acton, MA, and search for the “lowest gas prices near me,” then you may want to go beyond the website that currently ranks #1 in Google’s search engine results page. It’s GasBuddy. Now, they do list the “Top 9 Gas Stations & Cheap Fuel Prices in Acton, MA.” But their top two listings were missing data for gas prices when I looked on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024.
Besides, people who search for “cheap fuel prices” or “low fuel prices” aren’t necessarily looking for the same thing as people who search for the “best gas prices,” according to Alistair Rennie and Jonny Protheroe, who work on Google’s consumer insights team. In an article entitled, “How people decide what to buy lies in the ‘messy middle’ of the purchase journey,” they said, “The precise value of ‘cheap’ may vary between individuals, but it still carries a singular meaning. ‘Best,’ on the other hand, can have a wide range of meanings, including value, quality, performance, or popularity.”
So, what are your options?
Well, you can go to AAA Gas Prices to see the Massachusetts average was $3.118 as of Jan. 29. And if you scroll down, you discover that a year ago it was $3.435. So, whether you are driving to work, around town to shop for groceries, out to a local restaurant, or over a few towns to visit family and friends, you’ve probably noticed that the price of gas has gone down 9.2% in the past year.
You can also do what I did on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. I drove around Acton and a couple of surrounding towns to find the “lowest gas prices near me.” And I was surprised at how much a gallon of regular gasoline varied not only from the state average, but also from other gas stations nearby.
I started on Route 2A at the Mobil gas station located at 44 Great Road, Acton, MA. As you can see by their sign, a gallon of regular unleaded that day was $3.099.
And a short distance down Route 2A, I came to Bursaw Gas and Oil, which is located at 94 Great Rd, Acton, MA. As their sign displayed that day, the cash price for a gallon of unleaded was $2.999.
And on the opposite corner is the Pro Tech gas station, which is located at 336 Great Rd, Acton, MA. Its modest sign shows that a gallon of unleaded gas was also $3.039.
I turned down Route 27 and soon came to Gulf Gas Express & Convenience, which is located at 289 Main St, Acton, MA. As their sign displayed that day, a gallon of regular unleaded was also $3.039.
A short drive later, I came to the intersection of Route 27 and Route 111. On one of the corners is the Phillips 66 gas station, which is located at 421 Massachusetts Ave, Acton, MA. Its sign shows that a gallon of regular was also $3.039 that day.
I kept driving down Route 27 and soon saw South Acton Gas, which is located at 204 Main St, Acton, MA. And their cash or debit price for a gallon of regular was $2.999 that day. (This is one of the two gas stations that GasBuddy didn’t have data for. And it was tied with Bursaw Gas and Oil for the lowest gas prices in Acton, MA, that day.)
I continued driving down Route 27 and took a sharp right on Central Street. I passed the South Acton station, an MBTA Commuter Rail station that serves the Fitchburg Line, and soon came to Haffner’s gas station. (This is the other gas station that GasBuddy didn’t have data for.)
Haffner’s acquired Concord Oil in June 2023. The deal included the gas station and convenience store located at 68 Central Street in Acton, MA. As you can see from their new sign, the cash price for a gallon of regular was $3.099 on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.
I continued along Central Street and soon reached West Acton. I took a right down Route 111 and soon saw West Acton Mobile, which is located at 553 Massachusetts Ave, Acton, MA. As their sign displayed that day, the cash price for regular was $3.399.
Now, these are the “Top 9 Gas Stations & Cheap Fuel Prices in Acton, MA,” according to GasBuddy. But I decided to expand my search to nearby towns. And I quickly found the gas station with the lowest gas prices on Saturday, Jan. 27, was Gulf Gas & Quick Shop, 503 Commonwealth Ave, Concord, MA. As its sign near the Route 2 Concord Rotary clearly showed, a gallon of regular was $2.959. But getting in and out of this gas station can be a challenge.
The Concord rotary is one of the oldest in the country, which explains why it also needs to be updated. On Oct. 30, 2023, WBZ News ran a story by Jordyn Jagolinzer entitled, “Why are Concord Route 2 rotary improvements taking so long?” State Rep. Simon Cataldo told WBZ, “Something has to change with that rotary.” He added, “It’s dangerous, it’s causing an unacceptable amount of traffic congestion, it’s worsening our air quality, and it’s stifling local businesses in our community.”
Next, I drove to Maynard and found the highest price for gasoline that I discovered that day. It was at the BP gas station located at 1 Powder Mill Rd, Maynard, MA. As their sign showed when I drove by, the cash price for a gallon of regular was $3.559.
However, just around the corner and down the street is a Cumberland Farms, which is located at 54 Acton St, Maynard, MA. And as their sign clearly showed that day, the price of regular was $3.019.
When I continued to check out gas prices in the towns around Acton, I drove past the Mobil station located at 25 King St, Littleton, MA. As their sign showed that evening, a gallon of regular was $3.199.
Just around the corner near the Littleton Common, I drove past Nouria, the food mart and Shell gas station located at 460 King St, Littleton, MA. And their sign displayed, a gallon of regular was $3.299.
Finally, federal law does not require gas stations to post their fuel prices on signs. However, Massachusetts law requires gas stations to post clear signs with both cash and credit card prices. The price should be clearly labeled and no smaller than ¾ of an inch in height. The signs must also indicate the type of sale, such as “cash”, “credit”, or “credit/debit”.
So, the Mobil gas station located at 1425 Massachusetts Ave, Boxborough, MA, meets this state requirement, even though it doesn’t have a sign. And if you look closely, you will see that a gallon of regular was $3.199 on Jan. 27, 2024.
Although the lowest gas prices aren’t necessarily the best gas prices – depending on where you’re headed and whether you also want to buy a donut for your trip – it doesn’t hurt to know your options.
This type of article is an experiment for the Acton Exchange. It’s not a report of a public meeting or a local event. It’s an example of enterprise journalism, which is reporting that isn’t generated by news or a press release. Instead, it’s generated by a reporter or news organization based on developed sources or personal observation.
Do let the Acton Exchange Team know if you found this information useful and these photos helpful by email to info@actonexchange.org. Creating a not-for-profit, volunteer-led news site is a work in progress.
Greg Jarboe is currently a volunteer reporter for the Acton Exchange and a member of the Acton Finance Committee. He was the editor of the Acton Minuteman newspaper from 1977 to 1978 and a member of the Acton Select Board from 1980 to 1983. All photos by Greg Jarboe.
