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An auto insurance company offers a plan that includes emergency fill-up service for drivers who run out of gas on the road. If a customer calls in, the company sends someone out with three liters of gas, enough for a mid-sized car to run 25 km. This service is available only to customers who register and can be used five times in a year.
But with gas prices going up, the company has found that some customers are taking advantage of this service by calling for gas even when their tanks are full. Over the last three months, emergency gas requests to Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance rose to 26,000, up nearly 19 percent from the same period last year.
Hyundai and Dongbu's insurance companies have similar plans that also saw a more than 20 percent rise, a sign of how far some drivers will go to offset the sting of high oil prices. Filling up at self-service gas stations is another popular money-saving strategy. That's because do-it-yourself stations offer discounts on gas of as much as W70 per liter.
Sky-high oil prices are giving rise to savvier consumers. And with gas prices hovering at US$2 a liter, more thrifty practices are sure to follow.
Arirang News
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