Official Us Gas Prices Thread

[88pathoffroad]

This is getting way out of hand...when do you think people will start using less fuel to do everyday things and do you think prices will ever be lower than $2.50 a gallon (USD)? Canadian folks, what are your prices, comparatively? Anyone from OZ or NZ care to comment?

 

Ouch. San Mateo, California.

High gas prices are posted at a Shell gas station in San Mateo, Calif., Tuesday, May 15, 2007. Most Americans are locked in to their driving habits, and can do little to alter them when prices rise, experts say. Indeed, demand for gasoline rose over the last month, even though prices were rising toward record highs. At the same time, refineries have experienced more downtime this spring than in years past, cutting the gasoline supply. The combination of low supplies and high demand is what's sending prices up to almost $4 a gallon in some areas. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

 

"People complain about higher oil prices ... but they still drive their cars, they still buy their SUVs, they don't want to carpool," said Fadel Gheit, an energy analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.

 

The average U.S. household is already spending $1,000 more per year on gasoline than it did five years ago, two consumer groups say in testimony they planned to present to a House Judiciary Committee task force Wednesday.

 

That's an increase of 85 percent, and rural households have been hardest hit because they spend about 20 percent more on gas than urban residents, the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union said, citing Labor Department figures.

 

"It is time for Congress and the administration to do their part to help alleviate the pain consumers are feeling at the pump," said Mark Cooper, director of research for the federation. At Wednesday's hearing, he plans to call on the federal government to provide greater oversight over oil industry market practices, create strategic refinery and product reserves, and enact policies that promote reduced oil consumption.

 

My obvious choices:

 

Buy a newer, more fuel-efficient car

Drive less

Carpool

Modify current vehicle to get better mileage

 

I cannot buy a new car. The payments and insurance costs would kill me. I can barely afford to pay rent as it stands now. My water got shut off last week until I got paid again and could get it turned back on. I drive as little as possible. Carpool...with who? I work in town for one guy, we're a team. He lives across town, it's hardly fair to ask him to come get me every morning. I HAVE to drive the van for work. I need to transport 28-foot ladders, room to store extension cords, tools, paint buckets, electric paint sprayers, etc. I can't do that in a Geo Metro. My 83 carb'd 350 V8 van gets about 12 MPG across the board no matter where I go. I run the tires at near-full pressure, I go easy on the gas and I don't speed. I removed all excess weight from it a little while ago. Still at 12 MPG. *sigh*

 

Any comments?

 

Oh yeah, $3.33 a gallon for 87 octane here in Salem, Oregon.

[Simon]

Around here we're looking at around $1.05-1.08 per liter. Not pretty. Greater Toronto Area

Edited May 16, 2007 by Simon

[88pathoffroad]

A hundred and five dollars per liter??? What's that gas made of, gold?

[Simon]

D'oh! I'm dumb.... Editted

[Pezzy]

A hundred and five dollars per liter??? What's that gas made of, gold?

 

Nah, not until Friday when everyone is leaving for the long weekend.

[aries247]

well gas prices suck to say the least. as far as new car's well yeah i bought a 06 titan at the beginning of 06 it had 30 miles when i left dealership. it now has 10,995 miles. i can't afford to drive it with gas prices the way they are. hence i get to drive the pathfinder for now. prices around here in des moines vary. i paid 3.37 a gallon the other day.

[mws]

Clearly, the vast majority of folks are NOT the least bit concerned or affected. At least judging by their behavior. Whining does not count. Data shows consumption is UP yet again this year. Until that changes, prices will continue to climb.

 

Me? I have done enough to minimize to consumption to a tolerable level so it really doesn't impact me that much.

Biggest contributor?

I live very close to work. Like within bicycle distance.

[k9sar]

hmmm... crude going down, gas going up.

 

the real source of the problem is that the price is governed in the comodoties market. The government has no say in it or they could put the clamps on the greedy brokers.

chart.bmp

[mws]

For you, how about trading the van for an older minivan? Or just park it and get a minivan? Find an old chrysler with a blown tranny for $300, then pick up a JY tranny and swap in...

 

Ugly and the personality of a cockroach, but they are very utilitarian and should get you up to at least 20 mpg.

[adamzan]

Around ottawa, at least where I am its $0.99-1.06 a litre. I swore to myself that I'd never ever drive a minivan, because I'm not a soccer mom.

Edited May 16, 2007 by redfinder

[Slick]

if people didn't driver everywhere at 100mph around here they wouldn't need to fill up half as much. I slow down (55-60) and get 2-4mpg better, thus saving gas.

I don't travel anywhere unecessarily, and try to multi-task my things i do need to travel for so i don't drive as much. hell, i live 1/2-3/4 of a mile from the nearest store.. F that..i'm drivin. ..... plus, i can't ride a bicycle because of my knees.. and i pretty much drive past the store when i get on/off the freeway to go to work.... soo.......

around here it's anywhere from $3.39- $3.60 a gallon.

unfortunately i work 23 miles away from home....... welcome to california.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Slick

[nige]

"People complain about higher oil prices ... but they still drive their cars, they still buy their SUVs, they don't want to carpool," said Fadel Gheit, an energy analyst at Oppenheimer & Co.

 

That's exactly why the price will not come down. As k9 said, it's supply and demand. Unless we consume less fuel, the price is guaranteed to go up. I'm fortunate enough to live close enough to walk to work, so sometimes I can go up to a week without driving my truck. The winter sucks though, no way around that.

 

Aaron, when you get that transmission fixed on the van, see if you can swap it for a 2wd 4-banger 'junior' pickup for work. That's about as economical you can get for a work vehicle. That carbed v8 must suck the fuel back driving around those mountains with a full load

 

btw. gas here is 1.09/l or about 3.75/gal usd

Edited May 16, 2007 by skrillaguerilla

[NismoSkyZ]

$3.00 a gallon right near philly.

[BamaRed]

Montgomery Alabama area

 

I filled up this morning $53.00 at $2.96 a gallon... Some stores already over $3.00...

 

-BR

[yar1]

3.25 in san francisco east bay.

[Mookie]

As of right now 1.05 - 1.16 / litre. It will start to go up this evening in time for the long weekend.

[94extreme]

too much.. i drive like total of 10mi/week tops. pedal power, baby!

[Enjoi408]

Who ever has the cheapest current gas price, can you send me 20 gal. of gas through the mail?! Please! lol

 

Its about $3.53 here in San Jose

[Trainman]

Here in Western Canada, we are paying around $1.24 to $1.30 per liter. This converts very roughly to $4.69-4.92 CDN per US gallon.

 

For my fellow Canadians, here is a "what is the price of gas" thread specific to Canada on CarTalkCanada: CarTalkCanada Gas Price thread

 

Its now at 79 pages, since Jan 2006.

 

There are a few more gas price threads there as well.

 

Just have to suck it up I guess.

 

BTW, my last big trip (1,200 km) I averaged 23 mpg in the Pathy, including a bit of gravel road driving. I am trying to do my bit

[88pathoffroad]

During the gas crunch in the 70s, when stations were running out of gas and lines at them were long, I went to get gas on my way to work. I was 5 cars back in the line. There was one guy at the pumps -- taking up both of them. He was filling up his huge, enormous, dual tired pickup and filling up the portable ocean liner he towed on the back.

 

Remember me saying that gas stations were running out of gas?

 

None of us in line were very happy with this guy -- who was out for a day on the water. If the station had run out of gas thanks to him guzzling so much of it, I suspect that we would probably would have happily left our cars and beaten him half to death.

 

He didn't care. He could afford the gas.

[RedPath88]

too much.. i drive like total of 10mi/week tops. pedal power, baby!

 

 

 

So far this month, over 1800 miles driven. Filled up this morning @ $3.469 a gallon

[Terrano]

I don't know if it will make you feel better or not but in Russia gas prices are about the same as in US.

BUT. What's the minimum salary per hour allowed by law in US? Something like $10, right? Well, in Russia there is no such thing, and the average salary in our region is about USD2.4 per hour

 

There are talks that the government is going to go after gas producing companies, because they constantly increase the price without any apparent reason, just to make more money... but I really doubt anything is going to happen.

 

So taking into account the purchasing power of Russians, it can be said that gas here costs A LOT more than in US.

The point is: don't be that mad about gas prices There are people who's situation is even worse

Edited May 16, 2007 by Terrano

[Precise1]

True Big D, good point.

 

Like mws, I live 7 miles 1 way from work and the truck is rarely used for anything other than going to work and errands on the week end. I fill up about every 2 weeks but never seem to fit more than 16-17 gallons.

Like MZ, I plan to start riding my crappy falling apart bike to work, mostly for the exercise but it'll save me a little cash. Perhaps I can justify buying a good one then...

 

Here is a good site to help you find the cheapest gas in your area. Yes, they considered the Canuks also. As I suspected, the gas station 1/2mile away is the 2nd cheapest in the area. I'm @ 1/2 a tank but I think I'll top it off tomorrow...

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

 

Here is a little 'mythbuster' and some suggestions, basically common sense.

http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/070515/050907_ga....pf=family-home

 

I feel sorry for all you commuters!!

 

B

[navygz19]

I live 15 miles one way from school...and soon, only across the road from work (I'll be a ranger at the State Park!) but even so...I end up filling up every 4 or so days...filled up this afternoon at $2.99 and that was at a Wawa, one of the cheapest places to fill up...most pumps otherwise are over $3.00 now.

If it were to continue to rise, I'm not sure exactly what we'd do. My wife is at work full time, and I'm at school full time. The next step is for her to drive the Pathy and I, reluctantly, take the Hyundai to school. The next step, I guess...there's a $600.00 Dodge Colt with a 4 speed manual on craigslist...

We barely make it by as it is, and we're paying an incredibly hefty tuition (which, *ALSO* went up again going into the fall, '07 semester) It's not easy, in fact it sucks.

If only Segway's were legal on the interstates.

LOL!

Yes, that's *suppossed* to be Shrubbery falling off one of them!

Edited May 17, 2007 by navygz19

[93PathfinderWA]

Yah i fill up about every 2 weeks and try not to drive if i dont have too. One of my teachers started riding his bike 25 miles each way to and from school so he doesn't have to drive. Alot of people in Tacoma work in Seattle about 45 miles away. Here I paid $3.52. People should start taking public transportation if they can't afford the gas. I don't know how much it costs to take the bus but I am sure that the government would be much more willing to keep bus pass prices low compared to fighting the oil companies plus you are helping the environment.