Fuel Facts
Does Fas Gas Plus sell Ethanol-blended gasoline?
Ethanol-blended gasoline (EBG) is currently available at participating Fas Gas and Fas Gas Plus service stations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Stations selling ethanol blended gasoline have a label on the pump signifying that the gasoline may contain up to 10 percent ethanol. EBG contains up to 10% ethanol, a product made from fermented sugar or converted starches (e.g. corn, grain, or other cereal crops).
We use ethanol in our gasoline where legislation requires its use and where conditions permit.
Can I use Ethanol-blended gasoline in my vehicle?
Gasolines that are blended with up to 10% ethanol are safe for engine components, and do not require engine or gas-line changes in vehicles. Most automotive vehicles sold in Canada since 1988 have been designed to use ethanol-blended gasoline at the levels of up to 10% ethanol. If you have concerns, check your owners manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer.
If you don’t drive a vehicle that allows you to run with alternative fuels, we also offer Premium Gasoline that does not contain ethanol that can help reduce emissions by up to 15%.
Some newer vehicles are able to run E-85 Ethanol, but this product only caters to a small percentage of vehicles on the road in Canada. We do not offer this specialty-use product currently.
Does Fas Gas Plus sell Biodiesel?
Biodiesel blends are currently available at participating Fas Gas and Fas Gas Plus service stations in British Columbia Alberta and Manitoba. Stations selling biodiesel have a label on the pump signifying the fuels may contain up to 5 percent biodiesel. Biodiesel contains FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) – or vegetable oil and methanol.
We use biodiesel where legislation requires its use and where conditions permit.
Can I use Biodiesel in my vehicle?
In the majority of vehicles, engines use of B5 (5% biodiesel) is unlikely to present operational problems.
Fas Gas Plus encourages all of our customers to consult their vehicle’s manual and manufacturer for questions regarding fuels and vehicle performance.
Standard recommendation for properly stored biodiesel, in it’s pure form, is within 6 months of production. The speed of biodiesel degradation is affected by a number of variables including temperature, blend percentage and feedstock. We recommend you consume biodiesel blends as soon as practical.
Do consumers benefit from market competition in the retail fuel market?
We believe so. With the fact that the industry is so competitive, all it takes is for one station in a market to lower its price and all of a sudden you have all stations now at the lower price. This is also how gas wars get started! In a lot of these cases you have all of the stations in the market selling fuel below cost or far below cost - proof of the health and very strong competition in the retail fuel industry that ultimately benefits all consumers.
Does Fas Gas have Winter Diesel?
Yes & No. When people refer to Winter Diesel they are referring to the fuel's ability to flow at cold temperatures. In the industry this is referred to as the pour point of the diesel fuel. All refineries that Fas Gas purchases diesel fuel from in Western Canada have very strict guidelines and schedules as to when the pour points of their fuel will be decreased as winter approaches and increased as summer returns. So the long and the short of it is that NO we do not have something called "Winter Diesel" but, YES we have diesel fuel that has a pour point that is adjusted for our cold Western Canadian winters!
Environment & Safety
Fas Gas has established procedures to proactively manage environmental issues within every area and aspect of its businesses. This approach results in a strong competitive position by anticipating and preparing for new or changing environmental standards. Procedures related to environmental initiatives fall under three areas:
· Fas Gas undertakes drilling and testing of soil and testing of tanks and lines prior to the purchase or lease of any new site. In addition, ongoing monitoring is in place to oversee inventory balances at all retail stations. Cathodic protection systems, which inhibit steel tank deterioration, are installed at all stations owned by Fas Gas that have steel tanks.
· Technology is applied for specific environmental purposes including a mobile unit providing state-of-the-art underground tank testing and a truck-mounted drill for efficient, in-house soil testing.
· Remediation, if required, is managed for efficiency and cost effectiveness and may include the use of low cost vapour extraction systems.
How does Fas Gas Plus ensure their fuel is water free?
You sometimes hear rumours that one company or another has water in their fuel. As a point of fact, Gasoline or Diesel Fuel actually floats on water. So if any water were to get into a fuel storage tank it would go right to the bottom. To ensure that this does not happen, Fas Gas dips all of its fuel storage tanks at every station on an ongoing basis with water paste. What is water paste? Water paste is simply a chemical paste that changes colour if it comes in contact with water. This paste is applied to a fuel dipstick, which is lowered to the bottom of the fuel storage tank. It will change colour if it comes in contact with water. If any water is found at the bottom of the tank, (a very rare occurrence), it is removed by a vacuum truck using proper disposal methods.
How does Fas Gas Plus fuel quality compare with other major oil companies?
Fuels sold at Fas Gas locations are refined by Petro-Canada, Esso, Shell and Co-op in Western Canada. These refiners produce fuel that is very similar, which meets the Canadian General Standard Boards specifications. Therefore, the fuel that you receive at your local Fas Gas location is of the highest quality. Each company including Fas Gas has a specific blend of additives that is added to their fuel and in most cases this is the only difference.
What is the Octane Rating of Fas Gas fuels?
Fas Gas fuels have the following Octane ratings:
Regular unleaded: 87
Mid-Grade: 89
Premium: 91
What makes up the price of a litre of gasoline?
Many things make up the price of a litre of gasoline.
· cost of a barrel of crude oil, which is dictated by world economics, and the forces of supply and demand.
· cost of removing the oil from the ground and transporting it to one of the many refineries in Western Canada.
· cost of refining the crude oil into gasoline and diesel fuel.
· cost of transporting the gasoline or diesel fuel to your local service station.
Taxes that are part of the cost of a litre of gasoline:
Federal Excise Tax $0.10 (ten cents) per litre
Provincial Fuel Taxes $.09-$0.15 per litre (depending on province)
GST @ 5% of the retail price ($.04 per litre @ $0.799/litre retail)
These taxes can make up to $0.30 (thirty cents) of the cost of a litre of gasoline
These are just some of the costs that make up the cost of the gasoline that you buy at your local station.
Where does Fas Gas Plus get its fuel?
Fas Gas has negotiated contracts with major refiners across Western Canada. This allows us to haul quality fuel to our retail locations from the closest refining or rack point. This arrangement ensures that our retail locations have fuel of comparable quality to the major retailers and it is delivered from the closest delivery point. This enables us to maximize the savings that we are able to pass along to our customers, while providing quality fuel products to meet their motoring needs.
Who sets the price of fuels?
The retail price of fuel at the pumps is set in a number of ways, depending on the brand or the supplier of the fuels. Most independent station operators take the cost of the fuel delivered to them and then decide how much they want to make and set their own pump prices based on this and their local market conditions. For company operated sites the operator or the company may decide on the retail price at the pumps. For Fas Gas stations in Western Canada, the retail pump price is set by Head Office staff, based on local input and market conditions around each station.
Why do fuel prices appear to change at the same time?
The retail gasoline industry is one of the most competitive retail businesses in today's marketplace. It is the only retail business that posts the price of its product on a sign that can be read by everyone traveling 100km per hour, including one's competitors. Due to this posting of prices and the competitive nature of the business, everyone watches everyone else's price signs very closely for changes. If someone in the marketplace reduces their price, then all other players in the market make a decision to follow that price or to stay where they are and risk the possibility that the lower price at a competitor's place could convince one's customers to try that competitor's product. With the cost of fuels being tied to world markets most companies' cost to purchase fuel is very, very close together. Due to this most companies' costs will move at close to the same time and is passed along to consumers at close to the same time. Prices will actually move over a period of hours or sometimes days. It just appears that the prices move all at the same time due to the competiveness of the market and how closely all players in any given market watch each other.