Gas Prices

[5String43]

Just a quick heads-up, here - you all may already know this. And this may only be useful in SoCal, but here goes:

I'm as sensitive to fuel prices as anyone and usually opt for what's cheap. But I discovered this morning that the Chevron station near my house accepts the Vons Club card. This option popped up when I started to use my check card to pay for a tank of gas. I entered the VC info and the system knocked 20 cents per gallon off the price. This brought the price down a good bit, though still not as cheap what I usually pay in the El Cheapo no-name station.

Still, Chevron is Chevron, with what I guess is a really effective additive package. I understand that manufacturers are now recommending use of first-line fuel products rather than the El Cheapo stuff. For me, this 20 cents amounts to knocking two bucks off the price of a tank. Not quite a lottery win but every little bit helps. I think this probably is worth continuing.

Just thought I'd pass this along.

[Hugh R]

Been doing for a year or two. Shell does the same thing with Ralphs. Limit of $5.00 savings per fill up. Its based on "points" from your charges at Vons, Spend $100 over time, get $0.10 per gallon off, spend $200 get $0.20 off.

[Zeke]

I lost my full sized card. I've lost over 30 bucks in savings. It doesn't carry over, use it or lose it.

[Chocaholic]

Thought they all get their gas from the same distributor. Do you notice any difference in performance or fuel Eco?

[Baz]

Here in Florida, Winn Dixie has a gas savings program. I have 20 cents/gallon off right now with a 20 gallon limit.

This is for SHELL gasoline.

I've had up to 50 cents off before but that's a lot of shopping and there are certain items each week that are worth 5 cents off just for that one purchase.

[71scgc]

Here it's with Lowe's Food and Trade-Hess.
Carter

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Thought they all get their gas from the same distributor. Do you notice any difference in performance or fuel Eco?

It seems there is a difference between Chevron and Arco, at least to me. My cars ping when I use Arco. I think Arco now charges you for using an ATM Debit card.

[jcommin]

I love you Cali guys when the price goes up, you whine.

Come to Chicago, the highest in the nation all of the time.

[vash]

vons = safeway right?

same deal.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jcommin

I love you Cali guys when the price goes up, you whine.

Come to Chicago, the highest in the nation all of the time.

That's true, Chicago normally has the highest gas prices in the nation. Do you know why?

[BeyGon]

Filled a Propane tank this morning, $5.70 a gallon, $1,20 per gallon of that was taxes, but on top of it all was the 8% sales tax.

[Hugh R]

Zeke enter your phone number instead.

[sammyg2]

LOL, you're paying 35 cents more for the same stuff you could get from ARCO, and you get a 20 cent discount.
Yer still down 15 cents a gallon.
In California all gas has to be the same, and even the additives can't vary much at all.

But if you really want chevron gas, go fill up at an arco station. With the $8 you just saved, drive to an autozone and buy a $4 container of techron.

Go outside and put a few drops of the techron into your tank for every gallon you just bought.
That container should last a year or so.
There won't be any real benefit except the cost savings, but you might imagine one.

There is no difference between ARCO gas and anyone else's in California.

In fact ARCO gas sold in So Cal s not made by ARCO. It's made by Tesoro.
So is almost all the Shell gas sold in Southern California.
So is all the thrifty gas sold So cal.
So is all the USA gas sold in So Cal.


I've been telling people for years that all the gas is the same but folks don't want to believe it.
Part of that is because the marketing people for the oil companies keep putting out commercials that try to convince people that their gas is better, even though it isn't.

Shell and chevron advertize that they sell high quality gas and people believe it. That's how they can charge 35 cents more for the same stuff.

ARCO commercials say it's less expensive, so people automatically think it's cheap and not as good. Which is not true.


About a half mile from here, there's an ARCO station where I get my gas. kiddy-corner from it is a shell station where the regular unleaded it usually at least 35 cents more.
BUT IT'S MADE IN THE SAME REFINERY IN THE SAME PROCESSES AND COMES FROM THE SAME TANKS and both stations are owned by the same company!
I know that for a fact.



The only people who can be trusted less than lawyers are used car salesmen and marketing people, in that order.


BTW, Tesoro recently signed a deal with exxonmobil to put EXXON and MOBIL on some tesoro stations.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesoro-introduces-exxon-mobil-brands-151702485.html

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by speeder

That's true, Chicago normally has the highest gas prices in the nation. Do you know why?

Taxes! City and county are high. Go outside of the city esp WI and IN and the price drops.

[Joe Bob]

Albertson's has $3 off on exchange tanks, propane.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by jcommin

Taxes! City and county are high. Go outside of the city esp WI and IN and the price drops.

There are definitely taxes involved but I always heard that it was also the transportation from refinery->Chicago. That it's as far from a major refinery as you can get in a major city; the big ones are down along the gulf coast, in SoCal, Canada, etc...

[BeyGon]

according to this chart California has the highest gas tax in the nation, by quit a bit. I saw other charts that had it second to New York.

the first number is the gas tax, the second number is diesel.

Taxes on gasoline and diesel for transportation by U.S. state in U.S. cents per gallon as of July 2013[3]


State

Gasoline tax
(includes federal tax of 18.4¢/gal)

Diesel tax
(includes federal tax of 24.4¢/gal)


US (Volume-Weighted) Average 49.5 54.8
Alabama 39.3 46.3
Alaska 26.4 32.4
Arizona 37.4 51.4
Arkansas 40.2 47.2
California 71.9 74.9
Colorado 40.4 44.9
Connecticut 67.7 79.3
Delaware 41.4 46.4
District of Columbia 41.9 47.9
Florida 53.8 54.9
Georgia 46.9 56.4
Hawaii 69.0 77.0
Idaho 43.4 49.4
Illinois 57.5 68.9
Indiana 57.3 74.2
Iowa 40.4 47.9
Kansas 43.4 51.4
Kentucky 50.7 53.7
Louisiana 38.4 44.4
Maine 49.9 57.1
Maryland 48.9 55.7
Massachusetts 41.9 47.9
Michigan 57.9 63.1
Minnesota 47.0 53.0
Mississippi 37.2 43.2
Missouri 35.7 41.7
Montana 46.2 53.0
Nebraska 45.6 51.0
Nevada 51.5 53.0
New Hampshire 38.0 44.0
New Jersey 32.9 41.9
New Mexico 37.3 47.2
New York 68.2 74.0
North Carolina 56.3 62.3
North Dakota 41.4 47.4
Ohio 46.4 52.4
Oklahoma 35.4 38.4
Oregon 49.5 54.7
Pennsylvania 50.7 63.6
Rhode Island 51.4 57.4
South Carolina 35.2 41.2
South Dakota 40.4 48.4
Tennessee 39.8 42.8
Texas 38.4 44.4
Utah 42.9 48.9
Vermont 50.6 55.4
Virginia 35.7 50.5
Washington 55.9 61.9
West Virginia 53.1 59.1
Wisconsin 51.3 57.3
Wyoming 42.4 48.4

[1-ev.com]

Nice to drive EV, and not to worry about the pump and gas prices, 50c on 70 miles tho.. , just saying... nothing personal...

[speeder]

Let us know when you can jump in it and drive x-country non-stop. Electric vehicles can be great city cars, for sure.

[Hugh R]

OK, Sammy you may well be right, but ARCO charges I think $0.50 to use a debit card, and they don't take credit cards and I get miles on my United Visa for using it. Gotta think about the overall cost.

If we buy 20 gallons of gas/week between us, we'd save about $7/week at a 35 cent price differential. Call it $4/gallon for rounding, and its $320/month or about $3,800/year or 3,800 frequent flier miles. At $0.35/gallon savings, that is $336 per year in savings. $0.10 per Frequent flier mile is pretty cheap. Plus you got to figure in the $0.50 per debit card charge 2x per week (two cars), that is another $50 or so per year of cost.