BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Figuring out when retailers are about to change the price of gasoline has become a little easier for some cost-conscious consumers.

Meijer Inc. recently launched a new service that sends a text message to customers’ cell phones notifying them of changes in gasoline prices. The service was tested in the Indianapolis and Grand Rapids, Michigan, markets prior to launching across its five-state region, company spokesperson Stacie Behler said to the Battle Creek Enquirer.

Behler notes that about 6,000 customers have subscribed to the service, where the only cost associated with the service is the fee that wireless companies might charge for text-messaging services.

“We have been able to give drivers a pretty decent window of time to get there and fill up,” Behler said. “Particularly now, when gasoline prices are escalating, it’s on the minds of so many of our customers.”

The price-increase alert is a way for Meijer to help build customer loyalty, Behler said.

One Meijer customer, Lenette Kirksey, told the newspaper that she would “definitely” sign up for the service, adding that she considers the text-messaging service a great way to keep customers in the loop. “Anything to save some money. I don’t know why anyone didn’t think of this sooner,” she said.

A number of groups have added services to help drivers track gasoline prices. AAA has its own trip planners and fuel-reporting services at www.fuelgaugereport.com and www.aaamaps.com. Other Web sites, such as www.michigangasprices.com, allow drivers to report gasoline prices they see throughout the area.