Gas Gouging - Happening Near You Yet?

[sibs ling]

Here in the Detroit area, prices for regular unleaded gas are still averaging $2.65ish per gallon.

There are some stations, however, that have jumped the gun a little bit and are raising their prices to over $3.00 per gallon.

One station was reportedly charging $3.37!!! F'ing blood suckers!

I hope it's worth it.

While I'm not sure about other states, here in MI, penalties for gouging are up to $25,000.

I'm glad that the fines are so high.

'ling
(Keeping fingers crossed that the prices don't go too much higher, too quickly. I drive WAY too many miles a week for this shit.)

[cmhaas]

I heard on The Today show that it's been happening in other areas too.

[Toy Ranch]

Usually, it's not the stations, but their suppliers. When the price goes up, the distributors raise their price, and the stations have to as well. If the stations raise their price over that of their competition, they don't sell much gas. But when they buy a tanker refill, they have to jack their price to maintain a profit over their cost.

[Emily]

Been holding steady at $2.69 since mid-July

[toollady]

9am station near work:
$2.569 regular unleaded
$2.759 premium unleaded

1pm station near work:
$2.889 regular unleaded
$2.999 premium unleaded

Other stations in the area have not raised prices as of 1pm. I'm sure when they do, they will be at least a penny higher than the prices above.

We topped off our tanks on Sunday and Nick topped his off again last night.(He does pizza delivery at night, so this is going to really cut into his tip money :( )

[pcgoddess]

The Phoenix, Arizona market has been holding steady at 2.69, but I just noticed a station in Scottsdale at 2.75.

[kailin]

You may not like this blog's politics, but the map is instructive ....

http://radio.weblogs.com/0107064/

[juliatheena]

$2.849 here in So. Calif.

This sucks big time.

:1chirol1:

[packyrat]

I was out and about today getting some things done because just about the whole town was shut down due to Katrina yesterday....

....virtually EVERY station & convenience store on my side of town is OUT OF GAS and waiting for deliveries. Looks like I will worry about gasing up Friday or Saturday.....maybe.

Damn hurricanes! :irollers2

[toollady]

Sorry for the derail

Kenny,

How is this going to effect your move? Are you still going to have enough funds to make your trip without having to skip meals, lodging, etc?

Northeast gas prices are WAY higher to begin with. Don't forget toll money too!

[george]

my god gas just went up here from 2.45 to 2.79!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Heartland]

I'm going out in a little while, so I'll check the price here.

The Crystal Flash stations here are "out of gas." Not really, but they contract with the police, schools, and city so they're saving it all for them.

[gigilee]

Prices in the KC metro area for regular unleaded jumped from 2.50 yesterday a.m. to 2.65 yesterday afternoon, now $2.79.

I bet regular unleaded will be over $3.00 a gallon by the weekend -- it's a Labor Day tradition to raise prices on the Thursday before.

Gina

[agentorange]

I'm still getting gas for .96 cents. I bought it on priceline 5 years ago! 1000 gallons!

WOOOOT~!

[toke]

I'm going out in a little while, so I'll check the price here.

The Crystal Flash stations here are "out of gas." Not really, but they contract with the police, schools, and city so they're saving it all for them.
Gosh. I could have sworn you were already supporting the police, schools and the city with your taxes. You'd think they'd be concerned about your ability to buy gas so you could go to work, pay your taxes, and pay their salaries. So far-seeing and astute...they must be Republicans.

[kim]

$2.85 across the street from me - and - that's the cheap station...

[george]

what annoys me the most is the prices goes up like a rocket and when the price for a barrel drops the prices takes weeks to drop

[kim]

check nat. and - state by state averages:

http://198.6.95.31/

[krisinluck]

I'm cashiering in a convenience store these days (small town, relatively safe compared to big cities where I would NEVER consider such a job). Last night, we were at $2.65, while the two stations closest to us were at $2.69. I was buried in customers.

Husband is just back from town, where my store is now at $2.69 while the other one in our town is at $2.79. Here we go.

Sad thing is if a person is willing to, they can drive the 30 miles to the MN/WI border and buy gas in Minnesota for about nine cents a gallon less than WI. That's cool if you are already down that way, but to drive that far makes no sense at all with prices like this.

[Heartland]

Hi Toke,

Yes, we are supporting them with our taxes. Police, city workers such as trash haulers, and schoolchildren who ride buses can't exactly carpool to conserve gas or ride the city buses, like many of the working public can.

Frankly, I think they jumped the gun on this, but they're probably thinking better safe than sorry. Besides, there are a zillion stations here besides Crystal Flash.

The mayor here is a Democrat, with a Republican majority on the city council. The governor is Republican. And then there's me, who desperately wants a viable third party representing the working class, but doubts I'll ever see it in my lifetime.

[kim]

i just checked around town - it's at $2.99 for regular - at another gas station - about a mile from my house...

[*dm*]

our "cheap" gas is at $2.85(AM/PM) and then when you add on the $.50 "convenience charge" for using your ATM card, it really bumps the price up...It costs me about $55 to fill up my tank right now...:(

[packyrat]

Sorry for the derail
Kenny,
How is this going to effect your move? Are you still going to have enough funds to make your trip without having to skip meals, lodging, etc?

Northeast gas prices are WAY higher to begin with. Don't forget toll money too!

Well....I had already recalculated the move using 8 mpg for the truck & car carrier and used $3 a gallon....can only hope that comes close in another 3 weeks. The dumb thing is....for all the figuring & planning, I completely DID forget about toll roads. :1wall2: Those shouldn't be all that bad as it would only be the WV turnpike (I77) from VA line to Charleston and the NY Thruway (I90) from the PA border to Syracuse.

I should be OK at this point....just hope it doesn't get any more crazy.

[toke]

The mayor here is a Democrat, with a Republican majority on the city council. The governor is Republican. And then there's me, who desperately wants a viable third party representing the working class, but doubts I'll ever see it in my lifetime.
I hear you. You are so right...we desperately need a viable third party.

I gave in this last time and voted for Kerry...though I knew better, particularly since I'm living in Massachusetts. :irollers4 From now on, I'm back to voting my conscience. For me...that's Libertarian.

[Heartland]

Toke, I wasn't too thrilled with the Libertarian candidate last time, either. Plus only three or four Libertarians ever even run in my state, and the candidate for governor was a joke during the debates.

I just ran down the road to Gas America, and their price has been raised six cents since yesterday.

One thing I don't understand: Why, when the oil prices go up, do we immediately have a price jump at the pumps? We're paying for the gas that's already in their underground tanks, already paid for by them. I can see raising prices if they have to pay more, but why are we paying more for gas they got at a lower price? Can anyone explain this to me?

[kitahna]

*waving at Ling*

Prices started going up to $2.99 around our area today. Guess that means I'll be more of a homebody than ever for a while.

[toke]

One thing I don't understand: Why, when the oil prices go up, do we immediately have a price jump at the pumps? We're paying for the gas that's already in their underground tanks, already paid for by them. I can see raising prices if they have to pay more, but why are we paying more for gas they got at a lower price? Can anyone explain this to me?
I agree, it doesn't make sense on its face. They DO know that WE know the price went up, and they also know the next batch will cost them boucoup bucks more. Maybe it's like poker...they're pricing on the come, and they figure they can get by with it?

[Heartland]

and they figure they can get by with it? They figure right, since our government won't do squat about it!

[wasabanker]

You say, "We're paying for the gas that's already in their underground tanks, already paid for by them" which is a common misconception. You are actually paying for the next delivery.

[Therp]

Last time I got gas it was 2.529 Today I got it again, it was 2.819 - a 29¢ jump in less than a week.

[mango man]

its right where it was last week 2.59-2.75 for regular, fl has strict laws that go into effect for price gouging when a storm is around so they may still be in effect from katrinas vist last week.

thing is they where predicting 3.00 a gal by labor day , long before Katrina

[thentavius]

Gas is hovering in the $2.70 - $2.85 range here in New Mexico. Costco, usually the cheapest, was at $2.65 yesterday--probably higher now.

I'm not entirely certain how Katrina affects our oil supply? I thought most of our oil was foreign? Do the oil rigs tend to use the LA coast for importing? Color me ignorant on the subject, but I'm not quite certain how the hurricane could cause such a rise in gas prices. Florida was hit three times last year (or was that the year before), and we certainly didn't see such a spike.

Anyone know why?

I do remember a statement that it was thought to be going around $3.00 a gallon by the end of the summer--sometime last spring.

[Heartland]

Yes, much of our oil comes in through Lousiana. LA is the only port in the nation that can offload the biggest oil tankers.

The areas hit hardest also hold most of the refineries in our country. If the oil can't be refined, we can't use it.

[kailin]

Suburban DuPage county -- 3 gas stations nearby:

Shell and Marathon both were at $3.099 an hour ago
the independent on the same street was $3.329

[Heartland]

I just found this quickly:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000082&sid=aIJBD0M13h8M&refer=canada

Oil and gasoline prices surged to records, with consumers facing $3 a gallon at the pump, as the storm destroyed offshore drilling rigs and pipelines in the region, which produces one-third of the oil and a fifth of the natural gas in the U.S. The government said it would tap its emergency supplies to ease the shortfall. The federal government will use its emergency oil reserve to help restore supplies. U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said in an interview today in Washington the Strategic Petroleum Reserve can deliver 5 million barrels a day, more than three times the amount lost in the Gulf.

[thentavius]

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that we relied upon the Gulf of Mexico and LA port for that much of our incoming supplies and refining. I imagine that many of the physical machines used to refine, pump, or import were actually destroyed or totally damaged.

I wonder how far-reaching the aftermath will be.

I can imagine that this will also affect wholesale costs of items moved around by trucks / vehicles, as well as UPS and other shipping rates.

[Eriu]

I paid $2.53 a gallon this morning at a local Kroger (they have 10 cents off promotion right now). I left Kroger and went about 2 miles up US 42 and it was 3.09. Later around 2:00 I was on the other side of town and a marathon station had just changed their's to $3.49. Thankfully I filled up this morning!


:1neko2:

[Jay98]

On CNN, they are saying that some places are charging $4.00 a gallon or more.

Here in Toronto, it's now up to $1.20 a liter, although i found a place & filled up for $1.03 a liter...only 3/4 quarters of a tank for 20 bucks....sigh

[Kiheicat]

Here on Maui, I filled up the tank yesterday at $3.16 per gallon for the cheap stuff. The high grade was $3.36. Downtown I've seen it as high as $3.49.
:1neko2:

[Kashtin]

Ready to sink some pipe in Alaska yet?

[Kiheicat]

Tempting... ;)

[Heartland]

$2.74 here last night. Now it's $3.39.

MSNBC: 95% of Gulf States oil production is shut down.

Twenty oil rigs are missing in the Gulf.

Almost all Gulf State refineries are closed. Only two are partially operating.

Expert says if there are shortages, they will hit the northeast and the midwest first. Oh joy.

[kim]

IF...

our friend who owns the gas station across the street told us - their supplier is...

OUT...

[thentavius]

$2.74 here last night. Now it's $3.39.

MSNBC: 95% of Gulf States oil production is shut down.

Twenty oil rigs are missing in the Gulf.

Almost all Gulf State refineries are closed. Only two are partially operating.

Expert says if there are shortages, they will hit the northeast and the midwest first. Oh joy.

Wow. :(

[sheryl]

It was $2.69 for weeks, yesterday $2.85, today $3.15...

[microbes]

$2.59 a couple of days ago, now it's $2.75 and going higher.

[Shadowcat]

$2.99/gal in our area of San Antonio.

Get ready for all prices to skyrocket as the rest of the economy compensates for the increased fuel costs. And you better hope the truckers don't decide to just park their trucks...

[newslady]

Today, at 7:15 p.m., gas in Indy went well over $3 a gallon.

Paid $3.39 a gallon for premium and it cost me a $39 and some change to put 11.9 gallons in my car. My tank holds 13.

On another side of the city, a relative paid 10 cents more for premium.

I am sick to my stomach

[GammaWaif]

I paid $2.89 last night, which is up a dime, from a couple of weeks ago. I bet it's even higher, today. Haven't been out to check, but I'll take a look, tomorrow.

:1headspin

[Kiheicat]

Wow, it looks like our gas prices are actually comparable to some of you mainlanders for once - but the gouge attack is still young ;)

[10x]

2.99 a gallon, but fer some reason my gauge shows more than normal, LOL I belive the owner of the station may have a pump to price problem going on.

[krisinluck]

When I got to work yesterday (Wednesday) morning, there were cars lined up waiting for pumps. Boss said "thank God you are here - I haven't been able to move from this spot since I opened!" We were at $2.69 then, while the two closest stations were at $2.79.

Given the news coming from further out towns, she knew they were going to go to $2.99, so she got the ok from corporate to go up to $2.89, and things mellowed out for a while.

Today will be a replay, despite the twenty cent hike yesterday - both closest stations were at $2.99 last night on the way home from the cities, but the next town south is sitting at $3.19. And away we go.

[Heartland]

I'm so glad I didn't give in to temptation and buy an SUV.

[bladepusher]

I heard on one of the newsstations that if you see gouging to report it here:
www.gaswatch.energy.gov

[sibs ling]

We're in the $3.14-$3.29 range here now.

Yesterday afternoon, I had to pay $3.29 (it was either get a couple of gallons RIGHT NOW or push - I paid).

Yesterday evening, I got gas at $3.24 (Thank You work for the $20 gas card).

This morning, the closest gas station is at $3.14 (yesterday they were at $3.25).

It's strange how prices are fluctuating SO much. Some is normal. Ten to fifteen cents (either way) over night is just plain weird.

DH thinks that prices will eventually come down to only $2.75. Not below.

:1tantrum:

[TurtleTrax]

It was up to $2.84 when I left school yesterday afternoon ($2.79 that morning). We live in a small rural community, and the gas is usually at least a dime higher here. Went out to dinner in Jacksonville last night and went to Sam's to fill everything up. It was $2.61 there, but the gas stations we passed on the way were averaging $2.75 - $2.80. I haven't been anywhere today yet; I'm sure everyone' gone up.

[kim]

thanks for the link vin - it wouldn't link for me tho - but - when i deleted the www part of it - it went through...

[Jay98]

Here's a site you might find helpful, although be prepared for busy servers:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/index.shtml

[Little54]

I filled up this morning, even though I had 3/4 of a tank. It cost me $8.80 for just over 3 gallons (@ $2.899/gallon). I heard this morning that gas stations in and around Atlanta are charging $6.00 per gallon! Bush needs to step in and put a price freeze in effect NOW!

[bladepusher]

thanks for the link vin - it wouldn't link for me tho - but - when i deleted the www part of it - it went through...

Sorry about that Dusa, my bad.

[saabsister]

Gas was $2.89 at the local 7-11 this morning. (Virginia suburbs of Washington,DC). My mother lives about twenty miles away and gas there is usually twenty cents higher.

[bladepusher]

I'm gonna try this one last time. Let's see if the third time is really the charm.

Thought ya'll might like this url.
http://api-ec.api.org/filelibrary/mft%2001%2013%2005.pdf

Make sure you have adobe as it's a pdf.

In the great state of lawlessness A.K.A. bumfuk Iowa we pay
$.479 per gallon for diesel
$.394 per gallon for gas
which is about a 20% of what we pay per gallon

Looks like our great politicians are trying to add on to our ethanol tax too. The whopping $.01 we save per gallon for ethanol. Must be because they have such a great distance to ship all of it. Within 50 miles of where I live there are 4 ethanol plants. Which raises another gripe of mine. Why must I drive 30-50 miles for E85 or biodiesel. For crying out loud I live in the middle of the worlds biggest corn/soy bean field.

Another thing I heard on the t&v that OPEC spends $4.00 a barrel to process crude oil. Then they turn around and sell it for $70. That's like a 1700% markup. If any one of us did this with a product that most everyone in the world depends on, we would be sued, fined, and thrown in prison so fast it'd make your head spin.

Sorry for any error or if this sounds like psychotic rambling but right now I'm seething, seething, seething out of control!!!

[10x]

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/news/bush_gas.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

"I think there ought to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this, whether it be looting, or price-gouging at the gasoline pump or taking advantage of charitable giving, or insurance fraud," Bush said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

[Heartland]

He "thinks" ....

Could've fooled me.

[krisinluck]

Home from work. We went up to $2.99 this morning to match the closest two stations. About an hour ago, a lady came in from the Milltown area and said they are now at $3.14. I was thinking of other things and forgot to check the other local station as I came by (had a transformer blow in town, and I was wondering if I had power here - thankfully, I do) but will check when I go to pick up the husband in about twenty minutes.

Bush thinks. So do I. And it doesn't do anyone a bit of good without ACTION from those with the power, dammit.

[Shadowcat]

Gas on base was $2.54 for regular unleaded and the lines were growing. I haven't been in a gas line since I learned to drive in the 70's.

[stronzo]

It's holding at $2.99 here in central KY. I just filled up a couple of 5 gal cans for the mowers and topped off the truck and it was $102 :eek:

[nobs]

The prices are rising daily up here in NH - around 2.99 in town.

But, heck - at least I can get to a gas station and (so far) I am still surviving. My heart aches for what is happening.

[Femme]

I usually buy the middle grade of gasoline, but forget that now!

Today, I bought regular gas at at 12:30pm at $2.99. When I went past that gas station at 4:30pm, a mere 4 hours later, the regular gas had jumped by 20 cents to $3.19!!

I am located in Southcentral Penna.

[Heartland]

It's $3.39 everywhere in my area.

I just spent $90 to fill up two mid-size cars and three 2-gallon gas cans. Unbelievable. And those gas cans are going to be under lock and key.

There are panhandlers at the gas stations begging money for gas. I've never seen that in my life.

This is going to affect all walks of life. Not just gas for the regular citizen, but the farmers can't ship their grain, the truckers won't be able to haul anything if there's a shortage, prices will skyrocket for services requiring driving time. The worst is yet to come.

[Eriu]

We are having a ton of drive offs in our area. Most stations are now making you pay upfront before you pump. I always use the CC thingie so I do not have to intothe store to be suckered into buying something else!

[gigilee]

Gas in the Kansas City area jumped again today to $3.30. I stopped to get fuel, and overheard a woman at the next pump tell her companion "I never thought I'd live to see the day when a gallon of gas costs half of what I make an hour".

Prices like these hurt all of us but have got to be devastating to the working poor. :(

Gina

[ssnafu]

You should try being one of the retired poor. Especially after the company you retired from takes away your medical insurance as well as penalizing you for leaving at the age of 62.

[Buffalo]

I still fail to understand why SD (especially western SD) has some of the highest prices in the midwest. I wish I lived closer to the Wyoming border. It always seems to be quite a bit less expensive there. . .

[sibs ling]

Prices like these hurt all of us but have got to be devastating to the working poor.


And those of us that drive for a living.

My average is 1,000 miles a week. I can't cut down. Cutting down would cut into my paycheck. Smaller paychecks make it harder to afford the expensive gas.

It's all a viscious circle.

Fortunately, I'm able to go shopping and run errands during those 1,000 miles.

We were struggling before this (long story and self-imposed). This might just cripple us.

OTOH - I feel guilty complaining about our situation. We still have the boys here, in the house, with running water, electricity and food.

I need to find something positive to do. All this negativity is overwhelming.

[Emily]

Oh 'ling {{{hug}}} hang in there.... :1hug1:

DH started chopping corn today. Just think about how much he is spending for diesel fuel to run the tractor and the trucks that will be driving back and forth from the fields to the silo for the next week to make cow food for the winter...

Even if the prices at the pump miraculously dropped, we are going to see the effects of this for a long time. I was telling my girls about this last night. The JCPenny Xmas Big Book came in the mail :irollers2 and I told them not to expect much. Not only is the price of everything going to go up, but it just feels wrong and wasteful to buy crap none of us really need especially after seeing the effects of Katrina...this year more than ever our focus will be on family and not stuff.

Anyhow, I can't believe how lucky I was to lock in home heating oil at $2.04 per gallon - I was cursing at the time because I thought last year's price of $1.43 was high - the year before was $1.09! Now it's at $2.60 and many of the oil companies have cancelled their pre-pay programs all together.

Yesterday the rates for regular gas ranged from $2.99 to $3.12 in this part of Massachusetts, but I found a station in Vermont at $2.85 - not enough to crimp too many peoples plans, though, because the highway was quite busy.

I do feel bad for those stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's going to be a lot tougher for some than others. Still, I think high prices are a good thing over all. Our society is so wasteful! If this kind of kick-in-the-pants is what it takes to get folks to conserve, it's worth it.

[Therp]

Last Saturday it was 2.529
Tuesday it was 2.819
Yesterday afternoon it was 3.199 (all for regular unleaded)
God knows what it will be today.

[babyhippie]

I was just out & gas wasn't as high as I was expecting. I live on the beachside peninsula & gas is always more over here (I buy mine on the mainland). Texaco was $2.89 & Mobil was $3.09 fpr regular unleaded. When I filled up Sunday I paid $2.59 at Sunoco.

[Therp]

Hmmm, could I get you to buy the gas and mail it to me BH? :D:D

[babyhippie]

Yeah, sure... :1rotflmao

[Therp]

Thank you dear, just stick it in an envelope and send it up. :D:D I'll paypal you when it arrives. :D

[oddish]

Not really this time Buffalo. :(

[Eriu]

Today it is anywhere betwee 3.19 and 3.59 depending on where you are at.

:1tantrum:

[mewsicmama]

They have been gouging all along out here. Have seen diesel at $3.45, managed to find it for $3.19 and filled up there.

[Therp]

Last Saturday it was 2.529
Tuesday it was 2.819
Yesterday afternoon it was 3.199 (all for regular unleaded)
God knows what it will be today.

Update - just went out to run a few errands - it's now 3.699 at all the stations around here for regular unleaded.

[socrfan2]

Already having rumors of shortages -- many stations in DC suburbs short of regular no-lead tonight. Hard to say how much of that is due to real shortages and how much is due to people hearing the rumor and going and topping off their tank.