Renewable Fuels Association Launches Sweepstakes to Show the Value of Ethanol to Drivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Renewable Fuels Association has launched the "Pump Up the Savings" sweepstakes to encourage consumers to share pictures of fuel prices when they fill up at the pump, which is intended to prove the savings associated with ethanol blends like E15 and E85.

Qualifying entries will be entered into a weekly drawing for a $50 fuel card through Labor Day. In order to qualify for the weekly drawing, the picture must be shared on Twitter and include prices for regular unleaded (E10) and E15 and/or E85. If ethanol-free gasoline (E0) is available, drivers should include that too.

"Consumers across the country continue to experience pain at the pump, but many are finding relief by choosing lower-cost ethanol blends," said RFA Vice President for Industry Relations Robert White. "We’re seeing a lot of pictures on social media and elsewhere from drivers who are thrilled by the savings they're getting at the pump when they choose higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85. We know there are a lot of great examples out there, and we're always looking for ways to share the good news: Lower-cost, lower-carbon ethanol saves drivers every single time they fill up their tank, while making our country more energy secure."

White noted that U.S. drivers saved an average of 22 cents per gallon of gasoline from 2015 through 2018 as a result of ethanol use under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Prices vary by market, but E15 is saving some drivers up to nearly 50 cents per gallon compared to E10, according to pump prices reported on e85prices.com 

This sweepstakes is on the heels of a new RFA report that concluded sales of E15 hit a record 814 million gallons in 2021. The 2021 volume represented a 62-percent increase compared to the prior year and was nearly double pre-pandemic sales volumes in 2019. However, RFA cautioned this success and growth trajectory are at risk unless the Biden administration moves quickly to avoid the reimposition of restrictions on summertime E15 sales.

"Our new analysis shows that E15 volumes expanded dramatically in 2021 for a variety of reasons," said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. "But continued growth is now in jeopardy because of the recent federal court decision favoring oil refiners who are threatened by the competition presented by higher ethanol blends. In the wake of that court decision, the ethanol industry and its allies have been urging the administration to take the simple step of re-authorizing year-round sales of the E15 blend."

Several pathways exist for the White House and Environmental Protection Agency to do this outside of the legislative process, but time is running short, he added. "Now more than ever, E15 is needed to help keep gas prices in check, bolster energy security, support the rural economy, and lower emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants. Fuel retailers agree, and they have also called for year-round E15 sales because their customers want continued access to the lowest-cost, lowest-carbon option available at the pump."

Cooper concluded that a recent nationwide survey indicated strong public support for increasing E15 sales as a way to replace petroleum imports from Russia and keep a lid on pump prices.

The Renewable Fuels Association is a trade association for America's ethanol industry, working to drive expanded demand for American-made renewable fuels and bio-products worldwide.