From a big nobody in 2000, Internet site monitoring daily gasoline prices with the help of volunteers called GasBuddy is poised to break a record of 4 million visitors this year. As the price of gasoline gets higher so is the number of visitors of gasoline-monitoring Web sites, including its competitor GasPriceWatch.

GasBuddy allegedly monitors 900,000 gas stations with the help of several thousands of registered volunteers. Knowing that most retailers increase their prices at least twice a day, the growth of these Internet sites signals the heightened concern of consumers over gasoline products.

To date, the national average price of unleaded gas is $3.22, a 13% increase from last year’s $2.86 average.

Nevertheless, some observers believe the system is far from perfect for it mainly relies on volunteers. In some cases, people can easily send bogus reports of low, low prices and mislead vigilant consumers.

According to Petroleum Marketers Association of America president Dan Gilligan, the system is a good idea but warned consumers to remember that if they drive more than 10 miles to save a nickel, they are losing money. He also said there’s no guarantee the price will be the same when they arrive.

For travelers, they simply need to send a message to gas@gasbuddy.com together with their Zip code and GasBuddy will quickly pinpoint the nearest, cheapest stations.

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