Gas price drop by you ????

[Rick Kent]

Can someone explain to me how gas prices in Northern VA in a 10 mile strech varies from $2.10 all the way to $2.67 for 87 octane? By the time I got back to Charlottesville every station was in the $2.60 range again.



WTF? This is almost as insane as gas prices jumping .$10 every time some one says they are concerned about production or supply, even though the gas at the station was manufactured and delivered well before the "concern" was stated...



I am not one for more government regulation but the gas price increases/decreases seem arbitrary at best and smacks of price gouging.



The free market is one thing but this is getting out of control.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Fred, it's supply and demand and what the market will bear. More populated, affluent areas charge more and it's people can afford more, and the demand is higher, than in less populated, more rural areas, and the price difference between the two areas can be startling.



TJR

 

[R 2]

$2.28 in Trenton, MI.

 

[Rick Kent]

TJR,



That makes sense if it was really rural v suburban.



This is 10 miles appart in Northern VA, all highly popluated and very affluant...



Supply and demand is also not an explanation for the price difference in this area. Is it really more difficult to deliver a tanker of gas across the street from one station to the next?



Wait until the next scare story comes out (terrorism, hurricane, diminishing oil reserves) and watch gas prices jump 10-20 cents the same day. This is the same gas that was refined months ago and delivered before the "new threat" to our gas supply.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Supply and demand is a subtle effect. No, it's not any harder to get gas to one area than the other, but the local demands and marketplace set the price.



By my house gas is $2.56...I drive 8 miles to work, and I see it go as high as $2.71. And, the area next to where I work it as at least $2.69 everywhere. It's more or less the same area, but the main difference between the two areas are: population, affluence, commerce. Where it is higher there are more people, making more money and more retail commerce going on, which drives even more traffic through the area. It all means that the demand is higher AND the willingness/ability to pay is also higher.



As for prices being different across the street...that will always happen. Independent dealers set their own prices and profit margins, and some have a loyal set of customers that will pay a few cents more.



TJR

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

Also take into consideration on the taxes on the gallon of gas. In the Seattle Metro we are one of the highest areas taxed. And, it also varies by county.

 

[William Washington]

Call me synical but I'm sure as soon as the next round of elections is over the prices will go back up.



The Oils have made enough money to reduce profits a little to insure that their Republicans stay in government. They fear the Democrates desire to punish them for their excessive profits.



Plus, this is also an opportune time to manipulate the customers in another way. It's very interesting that everyone is celebrating $2.90 cent gas prices just becouse they've temporarily dropped a little. They are just preparing us for the next price surge.



They way to $5.00 a gallon gas must be a staggered one. The public is just dumb enough to not revolt is they get temporary relief every now and them

 

[Dreman]

I thought $2.23 at the WalMart ($2.20 with a WalMart card) was cheap until I saw $2.17 this morning in Pasadena at Red Bluff and the Beltway. It's been an amazing ride down. Any ideas on how far down it will go?