Welcome to the first Triangle Saver, The News & Observer’s new weekly feature on consumer news in our region. I’m affordability reporter Renee Umsted.
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Every week, I’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look at my reporting, point you to great stories from The N&O newsroom and beyond, and highlight some pretty crazy, informative numbers. You’ll probably want to tell me your opinions or ask questions, both of which I welcome. More on that below.
For months, we’ve been talking about prices at the gas pump. Those discussions are ramping up again.
When the price of oil comes up, you can expect gas and diesel prices to increase, too. ($4+ a gallon for regular unleaded!) And when that happens, drivers start submitting more complaints about gas stations, as Chad Parker with the Standards Division of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has told me.
The Standards Division and Fuel Quality Division inspect gas stations to make sure pumps are functioning properly and fuel isn’t contaminated. They aim to visit every station at least once a year, but they’ll do follow-ups if a customer complains.
I collected data from the inspectors and shared at which stations across Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake counties inspectors found issues in visits between May 6 and Aug. 18.
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Fuel quality issues — including water and sediment in the fuel — were discovered at four stations in Raleigh, Holly Springs and Knightdale. And inspectors “tagged” pumps at about 40 stations across Wake, Durham, Chatham and Orange counties. That means inspectors took a pump out of service, because using it could harm consumers.
At the bottom of each of those stories, you’ll also find information about how to submit complaints to state inspectors.
Here are some recent affordability and consumer news articles by N&O journalists, including me:
Some numbers tell interesting stories:
Here’s some other consumer news that I’ve been reading:
Thanks for reading. If you liked the inaugural Triangle Saver, tell your friends. Be a friendly consumer and use the gift link. See y’all next week.
Got a tip, question or opinion? Let’s talk. You can reach me at [email protected]. And be sure to join our new Triangle Saver Facebook group to keep the conversation going.
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This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 5:20 AM.