Gas prices again, What's the price in your area for unleaded? What's happening?

powerpace · Dec 16, 2012

$3.01 at Safeway, two miles away $3.99 at Shell. Roseburg, OR.

newbury · Dec 16, 2012

mikehaugen said:
I am guessing back when gas was 37.9 cents per gallon, it probably made sense. Now with gas often peaking over $4, it really doesn't- though the gas stations just can't let go of it, gotta squeeze out every last penny they can... well, make that 9/10 of a penny.

I filled up the suburban yesterday about 35 miles from home near a truckstop, was 3.19. Diesel was 4.19! I have never seen that much difference, usually like 30 to 40 cents.

No, it started long before that.

The use of fractional prices goes back to at least seventy or eighty years back. In 1914, a Texaco service station's gas price was 14.5 cent per gallon. But 9/10 cent fraction pricing came during the 'great depression' of 1930s.

from What is the idea behind the 9/10 cent gas stations charge? - Yahoo! Answers which sounds about right.

And gas didn't get much over $0.37/gallon until 1973 (a REAL good year

) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/m/2012_fotw741.html

MossflowerWoods · Dec 17, 2012

I saw $3.059, 3.069, and 3.079 at the 4 stations at Exit 118 off I-95 in Virginia Yesterday.

Be well,
David

schmism · Dec 17, 2012

Peoria IL, 3.25 - 3.34 depending on station for 87.

Gary Fowler · Dec 17, 2012

Whats really weird is that gas prices are falling but it doesnt look like diesel prices are. Saw a station in Arkadelphia Ark. today for $3.02 for gas but diesel was $3.89. I dont usually pay any attention to diesel pump prices but seems like in the summer they were only about .$20-30 difference not $.87

MossflowerWoods · Dec 17, 2012

Gary,

I am seeing the same high diesel prices not changing.

David

kensnelling · Dec 18, 2012

When I went to town testerday, the station 2 miles from my house has pure gas (E-0 ?) for 2.99 a gallon and pure diesel at 3.55. The station 6 miles away had E-10 at 2.79, B-5 Diesel at 3.57, and E-85 for 3.05.

The thing that surprised me was the price of E-85. At that station (the only one I know of that sells E-85) E-85 was always .35-.40 cheaper than E-10. Now it's .25 higher per gallon. Has anyone else noticed E-85 suddenly being higher than E-0 or E-10?

Ken

radioman · Dec 18, 2012

Foxtrot08 said:
It's been coming for a while... Due to the addition of hydro cracking units at refineries, gasoline prices are going down below diesel. They can make more gasoline out of a barrel of crude now. Before they always had to make X percent of diesel. With hydro cracker units, you drive that percentage lower and lower. It's while base oil (motor oil / hydraulic oil / etc.), Tar/Asphalts, and diesel are now more and more expensive.

They are also starting to blend more and more ethanol into fuels. Which makes the base gasoline cheaper - you're getting an 83 / 84 octane blended up with ethanol to make it an 87/89 octane. Cheap, crappy fuel.

We had ethanol added for a long time - and its really not helping the prices around here. It SHOULD be making gas cheaper, but it just follows the rest of nation prices.

Bird said:
We've had that 9/10 of a cent as long as I can remember, and I sure don't know why they don't do away with it.

yes - same here dont know why dont they do away with it - its really annoying.

Right now its 3.68 around here down from 3.80's . I think price is only dropping before holidays and then bam hit us again with even higher prices after holidays.

Gary Fowler · Dec 18, 2012

radioman said:
We had ethanol added for a long time - and its really not helping the prices around here. It SHOULD be making gas cheaper, but it just follows the rest of nation prices.

yes - same here dont know why dont they do away with it - its really annoying.

Right now its 3.68 around here down from 3.80's . I think price is only dropping before holidays and then bam hit us again with even higher prices after holidays.

My experience has been just the opposite, prices usually go up before the holidays. E85 might be higher because government subsidies have been cut. Just theorizing as I havent noted that they have, just some rumors that they were cutting them last year. Last I heard, it is more costly to make ethanol than gasoline and the govt. was subsidizing the plants to keep the pump prices down after they made the use mandatory. I still dont know how some stations can sell pure gas. Maybe it wasnt mandatory after all.