August 14, 2015

Dear NJGCA Member:

Thank you for reading this week's NJGCA Road Warrior!

Here is what you will find in this edition:

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE: GREETINGS & SAL-UTATIONS!

EFFORTS TO RAISE AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO
PLEASE LOOK FOR MBP SATISFACTION SURVEY
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES -- CAR HACKINGS, EMV COMPLIANCE
PECA RE-CERTIFICATION COURSE - SEPT. 25, 2015

This issue, we are venturing into some new territory and providing some unusual, first-time messages and alerts, so please be sure to read through to the end.

 
Let's start with a common topic, though -- the efforts to increase the age to purchase tobacco.  In July, North Plainfield Councilman Douglas Singleterry, a primary supporter of North Plainfield's initiative to raise the age to purchase tobacco, wrote an op-ed in which he explained, "the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store and Automotive Association has been lobbying against raising the tobacco age at every turn." PolitickerNJ then published an article with the headline, "Special Interests Lead to Failure of N. Plainfield Smoking Bill."  THAT'S US! We are the ONLY group that is standing up for convenience stores and tobacco retailers across the state, members or not, and protecting their revenues. 
 
Now, we are launching a campaign to recruit more convenience stores into our Association! As we go in front of different municipal governments across the State, we need members with us who have small businesses in the specific towns that are trying to pass these laws.  The presence of a local business owner next to me when I testify makes it much more likely that town officials will be open-minded and have sympathy, and less likely that they will attack Eric and I as rudely as they have in the past. YOU can help with this effort.  If there are convenience stores in your town, even if they are not connected to a gasoline retail operation, WE need them, and YOU should help us recruit them. There are several issues, including lottery and tobacco, which directly affect the sales in your stores. Help us protect those revenues for YOU!!
 
Next, I want to encourage you to look out for the MBP Satisfaction Survey. If you don't want to wait for it to come in the mail, you can save postage by filling it out online.  You can either click HERE or simply go to the NJGCA homepage (www.njgca.org) and the Survey will be visible in the main box in the center of your screen.
 
This is critical for two reasons. 1 - It allows us to evaluate the satisfaction with current businesses and companies in the MBP Program, to determine if they should be invited back for 2016.  And 2 - It allows us to hear feedback about other companies that our members patronize, who we may want to consider inviting into the MBP Program.  You all know how much time and energy we put into making sure that the vendors in our brochure will provide our members with the best products and services and the best values. We are very selective ... people don't automatically get into this brochure. And, like last year, the feedback we receive from YOU will determine who comes back next year.  Believe me, I turn away more people than I accept into the MBP program each year.
 
Now, I have a few technology-related issues to discuss with you.
 
First, is car hackings. You may have read about hackings in the news. This is very real and it IS going on out there. It will affect the technology in our cars and you are going to have to pay attention. So far, "hackers" have done this with "good" intentions, not bad intentions, only to find out if it can indeed be done, and then they have reported the fact that they were successful. The bottom line is that if evil people can do this, they will be able to stand on the side of the road and control the car that you are driving, telling it when to brake and where to steer, even if YOU are behind the wheel. As you can see, the world of technology has pros and cons.  
 
This is a good time for me to remind you that your credit card processing equipment must be EMV compliant by October 1, 2015.  This includes any and all processing equipment that you use to process credit cards, other than the readers in your pump. All other equipment must be EMV-compliant. After October 1, 2015, if a customer uses an EMV credit card that has a chip embedded in it, and you do not have the proper equipment to process it, YOU will be responsible for any and all fraud that occurs from that credit card, including, and most importantly, fraud associated with identity theft. The card readers in your pump have a two year extension until October 2017 to be EMV compliant.  Don’t wait until the last minute!  This is a good time to check out the second-to-none NJGCA credit card processing program! Join the many members who have been saving lots of money on processing fees and have an easier time understanding their monthly statements.
 
One final announcement is a UST Regulatory Training and Re-Certification course being offered by PECA on Sept. 25, 2015 at The Imperia in Somerset, NJ.  If your license is up for renewal anytime from now until September 2016, this course is adequate for your renewal credentials. Not only is it an excellent review of the entire tank systems, and will afford you the opportunity to ask questions, it also serves to prepare you for the upcoming Operator Training that is proposed in the New Regs. Please click HERE for the informational brochure.

That's all for now!  Thanks for reading -- See you next week!

Regards,
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

TRAINING CLASSES!!

Emissions Inspector Class being offered in Wall Township (Monmouth County) on Wednesday, August 19, 2015!! Click HERE for Class Info and Registration Form!

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ETEP Re-Cert, Sections 8, 9 and 10 being offered in NORTH and SOUTH Jersey -- DAY and EVENING Classes Available!

For Class Informational Flyer, please click here.
For Class Registration Form, please click here.

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS.  THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!!

CLASSIFIEDS! -- FOR SALE & HELP WANTED ADS 

NJGCA MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER GILL ENERGY LOOKING TO HIRE FOR (3) DIFFERENT POSITIONS!

District Manager
Store Manager
Trucking Operations Manager

For more information about these positions, and to submit a resume for consideration, please contact: ravigill@gillenergy.com.

NEWS AROUND THE STATE: THE NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

08/13/2015:
Hit the jackpot without leaving your couch, N.J. lawmakers say
If trips to the corner store or gas station to play the lottery pose too much of a challenge, rest assured: the lottery may soon come to your doorstep. By a 24-7 vote, the state Senate on Thursday gave final approval to a bill (A4018) to allow courier services to buy and cash in lottery tickets on behalf of players. The couriers could charge a fee for the service, but could not take any of the winnings. The courier services would also be able to store lottery tickets that customers purchase in a database instead of delivering them. "Many other goods -- food, water, clothing and other items -- are already delivered in order to make people's lives easier," Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) said. "We have the means to add lottery tickets to that list, and it's important to facilitate this convenience with guidelines that emphasize security and transparency."  Currently, NJ lottery players can buy tickets only in person. An effort to institute an online lottery in the state failed in 2011. The bill passed the Assembly 54-20 in June and now goes to Gov. Christie for consideration.
 
08/10/2015:
Gas prices poised for a steep drop
Gas prices are down, and they are about to fall even further -- perhaps to less than $2 a gallon. "There will be thousands, even tens of thousands of stations below $2 by the time we're into football season," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for OPIS, which tracks retail prices for AAA. Gas prices have dropped about 6% in the last month to $2.59 a gallon, while oil prices have plunged 16% in the same time period. Gas hasn't fallen as much as oil partly because stations are required to sell a more expensive summer blend of gas through September 15 to meet environmental standards. But gas prices should see a steep drop once the less-expensive winter blend hits gas stations, Kloza predicts, and peak summertime demand tapers off.  Kloza thinks there will be a glut of gasoline come September and October. "If you have these crude oil prices in the autumn, you'd be looking at prices 60 to 70 cents lower than today," he said.
 
08/08/2015:
Hackers are attacking US gas stations
After a gas station monitoring system was hacked earlier this year, researchers decided to take a closer look. Turns out gas monitors are never safe: the researchers observed a number of attacks on their GasPots within a period of six months, with US-based ones being the most targeted. Gas monitoring systems or automated tank gauges (ATG) keep an eye on fuel levels, volume and temperature, among other stats. Many of them are easy to get into, because they're not protected by passwords. Companies are likely not keeping them heavily protected, since they can't really be manipulated to do something extremely destructive – like blow up a gas station. However, the Trend Micro researchers warn that ATG cyberattacks could still cause serious issues. Hackers can monitor one to find out when a facility is expecting the next fuel delivery or hold it hostage and ask for ransom. They can also fake fuel levels to induce overflow and put the lives of people in the area in danger.

MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MESSAGE BOARD:

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.