Gas price rant and a question for SammyG

[Brando]

MTBE was a good octane booster that kept the potential energy higher... much higher than ethanol. But it had its own issues as well. What's better than ethanol but still OK for the environment?

[Joe Bob]

MTBE.....not a good mix with water and two stroke motors.

[M.D. Holloway]

Ethanol isn't much better. Can't get water out once in and its a killer with small engines or marine apps

[onlycafe]

i like my ethanol in a glass, not in my gas.

[nynor]

gas prices here, today, $2.89 for 85, $3.03 for 88, and i didn't look at the 91 octane, i am guessing $3.19.

[VINMAN]

$2.70 for diesel this morning . I'm happy!

[911SauCy]

Went to grab 93 for the Dinan yesterday at a station where Regular was $2.83, 93 was $3.57!!

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

That decision is made by the retailers.

I live close to a major tank farm. Sheetz has become a major player around here and many other stations follow their lead on prices (gas wars as my dad calls it). Same Sheetz tanker fills up at the tank farm and delivers to many Sheetz stations within a 20 mile radius. Price can vary as much as .30/gallon between those stations....
Why do the retailers "try" to convince us that their profit/gal is almost negligible?

I'm not talking about temporary differences (could vary during volatile price moves)...consistent .25-.30 differences per gal. over time. My take...they charge whatever they can and the market will bear. Before Sheetz came on the scene, prices were significantly higher across the board.

Some stations around here were raising their prices up to 4 times each day when prices skyrocket (citing replacement fuel costs at the reason). NEVER does it fall in a similar fashion....hmmm

[ckelly78z]

Vinman, where did you see diesel for that price ? In Ohio, diesel is running 90 cents a gallon more than regular gas, which makes me leave my truck at home, and drive a Saturn.

[VINMAN]

In NJ. I took a huge nosedive over the past couple weeks