- ICPA provides consumers with important
information about the motor
fuels they buy and how
the motor fuels industry
works.
10%
of the gasoline you buy contains the domestically produced renewable
fuel ethanol. Ethanol production supports farmers and creates
domestic jobs. And because ethanol is produced domestically, from
domestically grown crops, it reduces U.S. dependence on foreign oil and
increases the nation's energy independence. This
means that Connecticut uses 160 million gallons of a cleaner,
domestically produced renewable fuel and avoids using 160 million
gallons of refined gasoline.
Renewable fuels are fuels that
we can make again and again without depleting valuable resources in the
earth. Extracting crude oil or natural gas
from the ground depletes resources from the earth's crust. The crops we
use for ethanol, on the other hand, can be grown, harvested, and grown
again every year.
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Taxes.
Ever wonder why gasoline is
less expensive in some parts of the Northeast than in others?
Connecticut has the highest combined state and federal tax burden
on the sale of gasoline in the Northeast. Gasoline taxes and prices
are below, Diesel Fuel taxes and prices are further down on this page.
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Gasoline Taxes and
Prices
Connecticut
has the highest combined state taxes on gasoline and as a result has the highest
gasoline prices. However, if you subtract the state and federal taxes from
average state prices across this region - then Connecticut's gasoline prices are
no higher than anywhere else in our region. Connecticut's ranking for having the highest
prices are due only to Connecticut's highest taxes.
|
State |
State Excise Tax |
Other State Taxes |
Federal Tax |
Total Taxes Per Gallon |
AAA Average Retail Price/Regular Gasoline - 8/30/2010 |
Retail Price Minus Government Taxes |
|
NY |
$0.0805 |
$0.3630 |
$0.1840 |
$0.6275 |
$2.83 |
$2.20 |
|
CT |
$0.2500 |
$0.1503 |
$0.1840 |
$0.5843 |
$2.79 |
$2.21 |
|
RI |
$0.2700 |
$0.0400 |
$0.1840 |
$0.4940 |
$2.76 |
$2.27
|
|
ME |
$0.2950 |
$0.0150 |
$0.1840 |
$0.4940 |
$2.68 |
$2.19 |
|
MA |
$0.2100 |
$0.0250 |
$0.1840 |
$0.4190 |
$2.64 |
$2.22 |
|
NH |
$0.1800 |
$0.0260 |
$0.1840 |
$0.3900 |
$2.62 |
$2.23
|
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VT |
$0.1900 |
$0.0100 |
$0.1840 |
$0.3840 |
$2.69 |
$2.31
|
|
NJ |
$0.1050 |
$0.0400 |
$0.1840 |
$0.3290 |
$2.51 |
$2.18
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NOTES:
- *CT adds a 7.53% Gross Receipts
Tax to each wholesale gasoline sale. The 15.17c
listed under "Other State Taxes" refers to an estimated additional 15.17c per gallon that this tax adds to each purchase. The CT GRT is
added the wholesale cost of gasoline as the CT GRT is a tax on the wholesale
cost.
- **CT & NY use ethanol instead of
MTBE as a
oxygenate. As a result, blenders of gasoline with ethanol may apply for a
4.5c per gallon refund off the 18.4c per gallon federal excise tax.
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Gasoline
Taxes
- Connecticut has a "Petroleum Gross Reciepts Tax," referenced
above, that is charged in addition to the Connecticut State Excise
Tax. Below reflects the GRT tax rates in effect. |
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Gasoline Prices at the Pump
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Diesel Fuel Taxes and
Prices
Connecticut
has the highest state taxes on diesel fuel in this region and even with that has
the second highest diesel prices. However, if you subtract the state and federal
taxes from average state prices across this region - then Connecticut's diesel
prices are no higher than anywhere else. Connecticut's ranking for having the
second highest diesel fuel prices are due only to Connecticut's highest diesel
fuel taxes - and those taxes went down July 1, 2010.
|
State |
State Excise Tax |
Other State Taxes |
Federal Tax |
Total Taxes Per Gallon |
AAA Average Retail Price/Diesel Fuel - 8/30/2010 |
Retail Price Minus Government Taxes |
|
NY |
$0.0850 |
$0.3230 |
$0.2440 |
$0.6520 |
$3.17 |
$2.52 |
|
CT** |
$0.3960 |
|
$0.2440 |
$0.6400 |
$3.10 |
$2.46
|
|
RI |
$0.3000 |
$0.0100 |
$0.2440 |
$0.5540 |
$3.01 |
$2.46 |
|
VT |
$0.2500 |
$0.0100 |
$0.2440 |
$0.5040 |
$3.04 |
$2.54
|
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MA |
$0.2100 |
$0.0250 |
$0.2440 |
$0.4790 |
$2.95 |
$2.47 |
|
ME |
$0.3070 |
$0.0700 |
$0.2440 |
$0.6210 |
$2.97 |
$2.35 |
|
NH |
$0.1800 |
$0.0160 |
$0.2440 |
$0.4400 |
$2.87 |
$2.43
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NJ |
$0.1350 |
$0.0400 |
$0.2440 |
$0.4190 |
$2.80 |
$2.38 |
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NOTES:
- **Connecticut abolished the
Petroleum Gross Receipts Tax [GRT] on diesel fuel effective July 1, 2007.
However, at the same time Connecticut enacted a provision in the tax law
that allows the CT Dept. of Revenue Services to "look back" at the
end of each fiscal year and see what the GRT would have raised, had it been
in effect, and add that amount to the CT Diesel Excise Tax.
- CT DRS
announced on May 25, 2010 that the CT diesel excise tax goes down from 45.1c
per gallon to 39.6c per gallon effective July 1, 2010.
The CT DRS guidance is HERE
- CT DRS announced on June 15, 2009
that the CT
diesel excise tax goes up from 43.4c to 45.1c per gallon effective July 1, 2009.
The CT DRS guidance is HERE
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Competition. There are 1,576
motor fuels outlets in the State of Connecticut that annually sell more
than 1.6 billion gallons of gasoline to the state's motorists.
These stations are owned and operated primarily by "jobbers,"
or local owners of the service stations without connection to the
refining industry. These jobbers have invested millions of local
dollars in environmental improvements to their properties in replacing
underground tanks and providing for leak detection and prevention, Stage
II vapor recovery to help keep our air clean and a host of other
investments in new pumps and other improvements to the service stations
of today.
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Fuel Saving Tips.
- Have your car tuned regularly. An engine tune-up can improve car
fuel economy by an average of 1 mile per gallon.
-
Keep
your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can decrease fuel
economy by up to 1 mile per gallon.
-
Slow
down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving
at 65 miles per hour rather than 55 miles per hour reduces fuel
economy by about 2 miles per gallon.
-
Avoid
jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much
gasoline as gradual starts.
-
Pace
your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease
fuel economy by up to 2 miles per gallon. Stay alert and drive
steadily, not erratically. Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the
car ahead of you and anticipate traffic conditions.
-
Use
your air conditioner sparingly. The use of air conditioning can
reduce fuel economy by as much as 2 miles per gallon under certain
speeds and operating conditions.
-
Avoid
lengthy engine idling. Turn your engine off when you are delayed for
more than a couple of minutes.
- Plan your trips carefully. Combine short trips into one to do all
your errands. Avoid traveling during rush hours if possible, to
reduce fuel-consumption patterns such as starting and stopping and
numerous idling periods. Consider joining a car pool.
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