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Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

                                                                                                                                                         

TRAINING CLASSES!!

All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753

                                                                                                                                                               

 CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS

                                                                                                                                                                         

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

06/29/2017:
Is It Crazy to Think Facebook Could Buy 7-Eleven?
With Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market, the Pandora’s Box of acquisitions is open. Or at the very least, the rumor mill has started spinning. Whole Foods appeals to a specific consumer base, and if Amazon really does intend to revolutionize the grocery sector, it might have to buy more of the market to get there. There’s also Amazon’s competition to consider. Reuters recently reported that Wal-Mart is not likely to make a counter offer for Whole Foods, but there are still plenty of acquisition possibilities. Wal-Mart and other large grocers may start making acquisitions of their own, securing their defenses against Amazon’s seemingly inevitable brick-and-mortar growth. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods may also mark a new era of acquisitions in which everything is up for grabs and nothing is off the table, especially when it comes to mixing the worlds of online and brick-and-mortar retail sales. And that's where the rumors come in. Click the link above for some acquisition possibilities that have been discussed in the wake of Amazon’s surprise Whole Foods Market takeover …
 
06/28/2017:
Gas prices are set to do something that they haven't done this century
Drivers making Fourth of July holiday road trips will find the cheaper gas prices at the pump now than they would have on Jan. 1, which is the first time that's happened this century, petroleum experts say. The average price for regular in the state will remain around the current $2.29-a-gallon mark for the five-day-holiday period, said Tom Kloza, Oil Price Information Service global head of energy analysis. "We are at the lowest prices of year, which is odd during a holiday," he said. "In most states, including NJ, prices are lower on July 1 than they were on January 1." The average price in New Jersey was $2.43 on Jan. 1, hit a peak price of $2.45 on Jan. 7, before reaching a low of $2.27 on March 22, Kloza said. Discount stations were priced between $1.99 and $2.03 a gallon for regular on Wednesday, GasBuddy.com reported. OPIS historical data showed that 2017 represents the first time this century that such a winter-to-summer price slide has happened, Kloza said. Last year, the average price for regular in the state was $2.10 for the July 4^th holiday, which Kloza attributed to the vote in favor of Britain leaving the European Union depressing oil prices in commodities markets. Demand for gas could spark a small price rally this July 4^th, he said. "Historically, we're higher than last year, but it is all tax," Kloza said, referring to last November's 23¢ per-gallon state gas tax increase. "If not for that, we'd be lower than last year."  This year, it's about the commodities markets lack of faith in crude oil, despite OPEC's efforts to cut production and increase prices, he said. As more drivers take to the road this summer, demand will likely increase for gas and prices will follow, he said.
 
06/27/2017:
The hypocrisy of those who like the ban on self-serve gas
The other day I stopped for gas on the way to work. I pulled in and the gas attendant only took about one minute to start waiting on me. Not bad, considering he was the only attendant working 3 islands, and at one point they were full with 12 cars. Once my pump clicked off though, the wait began. I watched as he went to four other cars and began filling them all up before finally deciding to get out of the car and finish it myself. I never like to do this because gas attendants have gotten very territorial and nasty when I have. I understand their station could technically get a fine for allowing a customer to do this. But this was going on five minutes of wait time after being done with no end in sight. It got me thinking about people’s own hypocrisy, just like the ladies at the post office. I wonder how many of the people who embrace the silly ban on self-serve gas use any of the following self-serve systems: Red Box to get a movie, U-scan at a grocery store when you only have a few items, The touch screen at a QuickChek to order your sandwich, EZ-Pass (where’s the outcry about the lost toll collector jobs?), NJ Transit ticket machines, Frozen yogurt self-serve shops, Do-it-yourself car wash bays, ATMs, etc. There are many, many more examples, but I think you get the point.  I find it hilarious that we are the only state left with an all-out ban on self-serve gas and people are so brainwashed that they think the rest of the country has it wrong.

                                                                                                                                                                  

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

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TMP Energy Solutions

Another Way to Save on Your Energy Bills

We have had a number of NJGCA members successfully reduce their rate per kWh signing up through our energy saving program. We know it's difficult to collect 12 months worth of previous electric bills to get an "accurate" analysis when comparing a variable rate to a fixed rate, but we now have another option available. 

This new solution is a power purchase option; the other program is still in full force and has saved members thousands of dollars. If you sign up for the power purchase option, you will be grouped with other NJGCA members until the minimum kW demand is acquired. By pooling the member's usage together, you will be able to take advantage, as large energy users do, and receive a lower kWh rate.

Each member will receive their own contract. Each member is responsible to sign and return the agreement the day it is received in order to secure the price for their group.

Please do your due diligence, so when you receive the proposal and the agreement you will be able to make an intelligent decision.

If by chance, you still want us to assess you bills, to give you a price to compare, we will require 12 months of your most recent utility bills.

There are no bills required, but we would still like to have one bill per meter on file to check account #'s, meter #'s  service addresses and other pertinent information incase there is a problem.

The term of the agreement is for 12 months. During this term period, you will have price protection against any energy price increases along with a low fixed kWh rate.

If you are interested in becoming part of this power purchase option, please contact Greg Cannon at the NJGCA.

Remember when you sign up your energy through the NJGCA Energy Program, TMP makes a considerable donation to the NJGCA Scholarship Fund through their proceeds. This has no affect on your rate, and costs you nothing out of pocket.

We hope to help hundreds of NJGCA members reduce their utility costs by participating in this and our other cost reduction programs.  Our purpose, in the endeavor, is to help NJGCA members lower their energy costs while supporting the NJGCA Scholarship Fund. 

Contact GREG CANNON at 732-256-9646 or email Greg at greg@njgca.org. Mention that you are interested in saving money on your energy bills. NJGCA & TMP Energy Solutions will handle all the rest.