Fuel Price Watch

[jcanavera]

I just heard from a friend who supposedly was in contact with a gas station employee of a large national chain here in STL who reported that prices will go up here about $2.00 a gallon in the next few hours. This seems so far off the believability scale but you know with the hurricane about to hit, the timing wouldn't surprise me.

Any confirmation in your neck of the woods? I can tell you that I've already got a trip planned and if this is true, we may end up sitting in the drive.

Jack

[sovereignrwe]

Average price in the Twin Cities has risen slightly so far. Low price is $2.33. High price is $3.19.

[Pahaska]

No change in Austin as of yet. $2.59-$2.73 for unleaded and in the $2.60s for diesel.

We get our gasoline from a refinery in Corpus Christi that is not expected to shut down. Stations run out late in the day right now because of over 20,000 official evacuees, lots of displaced relatives and friends, and folks topping up. Tankers are refilling the stations at night and there is plenty opf gasoline in the mornings.

[Minnie's Mate]

Tuesday, unleaded was $2.51 at one of the local stations. The same station was $2.59 yesterday. This afternoon, it was $2.68. I filled up with diesel @ $2.68: took $65 to fill up. As I was leaving the station, a tanker was pulling in to make a delivery. Local news said to expect about $.15 increase during next few days but no shortages. Governor had suspended $.15/gallon fuel tax after Katrina and that is scheduled to go back into effect after next week.

The Governor asked Georgia schools to volunteer to close for Monday and Tuesday to conserve energy. Most metro-Atlanta schools have complied. My kids have a two day vacation from school and are happy as is my wife who teaches 3rd grade.

[Jim & Susan]

I live near Minnie's Mate on the Southside of Atlanta. I have to echo everything he said. Kroger stores here in Atlanta sell gas, along with other "discounters" like BJ's and Wally World. I bought gas at Kroger yesterday afternoon for $2.509. This afternoon it was $2.669 in my town (same store).

Before Katrina, prices were generally around $2.50. Katrina occured on a Monday. On Thursday, a rumor got started that the Govenor was going to close all gas stations because all the pipelines from the Louisianna/Texas refineries were down. End result? A run on gas stations and they ran out of gas in many cases. Prices rose to and stableized at around $3.39. There were actually stations charging as much as $6.00. It has taken 3 weeks for these prices to get back to some state of normal.

The Gov. did indeed ask public schools to close on Monday and Tuesday to conserve fuel. He estimates that about 500,000 gallons of fuel can be saved over those two days. (NOT BEING POLITICAL, JUST REPORTING THE FACTS). It now appears that most schools in the state are going to be closed.

The rumor I mentioned above, as all rumors do, have some basis in fact. All of the gasoline pipelines coming into the Atlanta region were actually down for a couple of days. Three of the four pipelines were placed back in service within a couple of days. And I'm sure deliveries to this area are still lower than normal, tho I have no direct evidence (meaning actual facts instead of rumors).

All that said, it still ticks me off. Greed is part of the equation. I will never believe otherwise.

[maxandgeorgia]

Makes me wish I'd topped off coming home this afternoon~$2.64 for Diesel around here. I'll try to sleep tonight after reading about the rumored $2 hike!

[markdoane]

On a hunch, I filled up both cars yesterday at $2.39.
Today the same station was up to $2.69.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by markdoane

On a hunch, I filled up both cars yesterday at $2.39.
Today the same station was up to $2.69.

I felt the same way Thursday on my commute home but went home first. After dinner I decided backtrack to the gas station I passed on my way home. It was $2.39 on the sign as I pulled in and $2.49 at the pump. Confused, I looked back up at the sign and it changed to $2.49. Then Friday it jumped to $2.69.

The good news is it looks like hurricane Rita was not as devastating as first feared. Maybe it will stabilize.

[somefun]

Cheapest regular unleaded here (Puyallup, Wa) is $2.69. The lowest it's been since mid-Aug. But today's a new day and a new hurricane...

[till]

DuPage county Illinois is holding so far.......

[85MH325]

In our household, we have more cars than common sense, but CNN Money was suggesting before Rita that if it hit the oil refineries as hard as it could, there could be $5 gas nationwide before the end of this week. Fortunately it doesn't look that that happened... but I filled all of our cars at $2.49 on Wednesday, and the prices here in Iowa have climbed in some cases $.20 since then. Dopey me tho... if I'd just checked one of the OTHER stations in town, I could have filled at $2.40 on Weds! Geez!

Roger

[john hd]

2.75 here in madison, they can only raise prices once a day per state law.

john

[Janets Husband]

Interesting fact about the Pacific Northwest The crude used here is from the North Slope, it is not brought in from the Gulf of Mexico however the prices will rise and rise with the weather. I was going to say Rise and Fall but there hasn't been a fall in 6 months in the Tri-Cities.
Diesel is at $3.19 gal, Reg. is $2.92. Taken to the cleaners seems to be the operative word on this subject around here.

[brunoffrance]

Hi there;

See prices in FRANCE ...

unleaded best price: € 1,22 / liter or €5,55 / gal or $4,15 /gal !!!!!!!!

Hopefully, i use LPG : € 0,45/ liter or €2,04/gal or $1,53/ gal
I 'm very happy to use LPG when i see unleaded price...

Best regards;

Bruno;

[Silvertwinkie]

Yesterday it was:

$2.74 --87 octane
$2.84 --89 octane
$2.94 --93 octane

These prices were in the suburbs....the city, you can automatically add a .15-.25 city premium to those prices posted above.

I haven't been out yet to see if the prices have increased yet, but like Roger, I topped off all three vehicles to hopefully weather any pricing storms.

[crazylev]

Yesterday I filled the 'ol Eurovan with Premium (because I love her and I'm dumb). Mobil on California and Diversy= $3.19 p/g. To fill van= $62.41.

If my van would run on methane, I'd have it made, due to my intake of all spicey foods, garlic, beer...well you get the idea. I'd probably have plenty left over for you kind folks as well.

Best.

Jonathan

[wahoonc]

The station that last weekend was selling regular for $2.65 was $3.05 this morning...

Aaron

[jcanavera]

I haven't been out yet today but the local news is saying nothing about prices, so my gut feeling is if it is up at all, it may be minor. I'll know more in a couple of hours. I followed up on that rise in price quote last night and after asking around I found that the local managers of all the QT stores here in St. Louis were asked to prepare their signage tags to handle a price rise of $2.00, which would have put us at $4.69.

Jack

[canny_banjo_man]

Hi ALL... Sooo, the price of GAS is still goin up is it, anyone got a foresight of what I'll B payin when I visit Orlando in mid NOV...? around $3 or more or will it B LESS ???... We payin abt £4.20 a Gallon of regular unleades petrol, @ 95.6 per litre Grrr.... not 2 worry...Chris.....

[maxandgeorgia]

Hi, Chris! So, when you come over, will our "high" fuel prices seem "low" to you? Locally, our diesel went from the $2.60ish range to a high at one station of $2. 75.