What is the cost of fuel in your area?

[flyfisher]

Diesel here costs about $0.295 per gallon today.

However, I try to charge as much as I can on one or another of my credit cards, where I get a 3% to 5% cash rebate.

I'm not sure I want to spend much time in Saudi Arabia just to save a few dollars on my fuel purchases though.

John

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

You guys are swimming in tar sand oil and your prices are still high!

I doubt bringing Keystone XL will do anything to lower our prices. It will just allow the oil companies to ship the oil overseas.

Just another source of revenue for the oil companies, especially when the excuse for high prices, now, is the lack of refining capabilities. And they’re still being subsidized...

I really believe that the time of $5/gal. regular is not too far into the future. All that is happening now is conditioning on pricing. The oil psychology is to shock at extravegant pricing then reduce to an amount higher than 6 months before and we let out a collective breath of relief... only for the next round to begin.

Almost 10 years ago to the day, this thread was started with an indignant “I’ve seen a spike in fuel prices within the last few days...”. From $1.46 to $1.64/gal. So, in 10 years, gas has doubled and some. Interestingly, the price in Canada appears to have remained about the same (by the very next post, to this thread starter)...

It does seem though, that the price is rising faster now than in the past 10 years.

[Aage]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

You guys are swimming in tar sand oil and your prices are still high!

I agree, and have no idea why that is.

Originally Posted by flyfisher

Diesel here costs about $0.295 per gallon today.

John, I'm sure you let that decimal point slip. It hasn't been under 30¢ a gallon for over 60 years!

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by Aage

John, I'm sure you let that decimal point slip. It hasn't been under 30¢ a gallon for over 60 years!

No mistake. You just have to go to Saudi Arabia to get it.

[Aage]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

No mistake. You just have to go to Saudi Arabia to get it.

Ohhhh! I just saw PA & MT, and never dreamed you were actually IN Saw-oody!

Yes, too far and too hot to go to or stay in.

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by Aage

It hasn't been under 30¢ a gallon for over 60 years!

Well... maybe not 60 years... In ’73, while traveling from San Diego to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, TX in my MGB, I remember filling up at .26/gal somewhere in Texas. There were three gas stations within a block of each other doing war. The station charging .29/gal was losing... Diesel was even cheaper.

[Aage]

Yes, you are right: I was not clear. It was in ~1956 that I recall my dad filling up, and paying 36¢ per gallon for gas. So that was 57 years ago.

But that was an Imperial gallon, or 1.2 US gallons, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Aage

But that was an Imperial gallon, or 1.2 US gallons, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

I thought an Imperial Gallon was 1.25 US gal. or 5 US quarts. It is taxes in Canada that keep prices high there, but why they are relatively stable, I don't know.

Wholesale gas was $3.26/US gal. yesterday and since there's usually around 60¢ added by the time it get to the gas station, we are closing in on $4 in many places. It is still somewhat lower in western Colorado.

Gene

[Phoenix]

In 1970, I was at Clark Airbase in the Philippines; and ethyl (premium) was 11-cents per gallon (no taxes). I don't even know what regular was, because I never bought it.

A year later when we got back in the states -- sticker shock! Regular was 36-cents per gallon. I swore I would quit buying gas if it ever went over a dollar...

By the way, below are prices over this past weekend:

Gilroy, CA -- $4.059
Bakersfield, CA -- $3.959
Barstow, CA -- $4.019

I saw prices over $5.00 in remote areas, and some stations along I-5 between Bakersfield and Los Banos were around $4.399

[TouringDan]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

In 1970, I was at Clark Airbase in the Philippines; and ethyl (premium) was 11-cents per gallon (no taxes). I don't even know what regular was, because I never bought it.

I was employed as a student engineer for Pontiac Motor Co in the summer of 69. I had to drive (they had to twist my arm) a test car from Pontiac, Mi to Phoenix, Az. We went through a small town in New Mexico where there was a gas war on and I paid 17 cents per gal. That was the cheapest gas I have ever bought. So Phoenix, I guess you win!

Dan

[MaxAB]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

I was employed as a student engineer for Pontiac Motor Co in the summer of 69. I had to drive (they had to twist my arm) a test car from Pontiac, Mi to Phoenix, Az. We went through a small town in New Mexico where there was a gas war on and I paid 17 cents per gal. That was the cheapest gas I have ever bought. So Phoenix, I guess you win!

Dan

I worked at a Shell Station back in my high school days - I recall prices as low as $0.17/gallon and the owner would occasionally offer a special deal at $0.15/gallon! ...ah, "back in the day!" Those were good times.

Art

[Gene]

I remember gas at 2 shillings when I used to walk to school in 5 feet if snow back before the Stamp Act was passed.

Gene

[Jaxon]

Originally Posted by Gene

I remember gas at 2 shillings when I used to walk to school in 5 feet if snow back before the Stamp Act was passed. Gene

Was that up hill, both ways?

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Jaxon

Was that up hill, both ways?

Absolutely. Sam Adams walked along with me and was really angry at the price. He said it was time to throw off our shackles and defeat the gas company. Gas would go down to one shilling he believed.

Gene

[Over59]

4.01 for diesel Alamogordo NM

[newroswell]

Originally Posted by MaxAB

We saw this last month at Furnace Creek...


Turned out, fuel in Beaty, NV (60-mile drive) just outside the park was $3.79/gal at the same time. My sense is that we'll be talking about the good times when gas cost less than FIVE BUCKS/GALLON! We're likely in for some heavy seas ahead.

Well, good to see the prices have dropped we were there March 2011!

[MaxAB]

IMHO, these prices are, what I believe, the "calm before the storm" - after buying fuel in Europe last year in Italy and Austria, the politicos here won't be happy until we're paying $6+/gallon like the Europeans.

[Gene]

The difference between here and Europe is that in Europe a very large part of the price is taxes that pay for roads. Here in the US taxes are low and the oil companies and speculators get a big chunk, not to mention bonuses and big salaries for the executives. Our lower taxes mean our roads and bridges are deteriorating. The "politicos" have little to gain by increasing prices, unless it is campaign "contributions".

Gene

[Denis4x4]

In their infinite wisdom, the California Board of Equalization voted 3-2 to raise the excise tax on gas 10% to 39.5 cents per gallon. Why you ask? Simple, as people drive less and buy more economical vehicles tax income drops. Income down, raise taxes. This morning, the Valero station in Pacific Beach was $4.19.9 per gallon. Taxes on a gallon of gas in California are 65.8 cents and will jump to 69.3 cents July first.

To all of you guys whining about oil company profits, consider how the cost of gas would go down if the EPA didn't require a hundred different blends of gas. Or if the tree huggers didn't continue to block the construction of new refineries.

I blame the politicians for a big chunk of the price increases. Thankfully, my Exxon-Mobil dividends help pay for my Airstream habit!

[Gene]

Dennis, how are you going to pay for the roads and bridges if not from gas taxes? Perhaps all highways should be toll roads with steep tolls for RV's. Since goods are largely shipped by highways, we'd pay the tolls anyway.

Despite the different blends (not a 100), oil companies make enormous profits and get tax breaks too. A few proposed refineries near anyone's home will make them a tree hugger.

Your Exxon Mobil dividend is a paltry 2.5% yield.

Gene