"facw" (facw)
07/28/2020 at 15:45 • Filed to: Gaslopnik, gas prices, gas, shell, Probably should have just filled up at Gulf
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"facw" (facw)
07/28/2020 at 15:45 • Filed to: Gaslopnik, gas prices, gas, shell, Probably should have just filled up at Gulf | 0
| 27 |
When I stopped for gas this afternoon my Shell station, which has been around $2.05/gallon for regular recently, had jumped all the way up to $2.59/gallon. 89 and 93 were normally priced, to the point where 89 was $0.10/gallon less than 87.
Only thing I can think is that they were running low on regular and so jacked up the price to encourage people get premium or at least get plus and use less regular? Seems a bit weird, but maybe letting the regular tank run dry is bad from a functional or regulatory point of view?
I got premium anyway so not a big deal for me (though in normal times they’ve been letting the regular/premium price spread get sort of high, might need to change stations to one that only has a $0.30 spread )
MonkeePuzzle
> facw
07/28/2020 at 15:58 |
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I dont think the law (although they may vary) allows them to arbitrarily price fuel, even based on their own level of supply.
My bird IS the word
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:00 |
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Probably got refilled on regular at new market rates , still have their old supply of super/premium.
My only guess.
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facw
> MonkeePuzzle
07/28/2020 at 16:02 |
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Huh? I don’t think we’ve had legal price control on gas besides anti-gouging laws since the shortages of the ‘70s (note: price controls only exacerbate shortages). Maybe they have some agreement with Shell on how they can price it, but from a US/Massachusetts law perspective, it seems like they should be able to price it however they want?
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facw
> My bird IS the word
07/28/2020 at 16:03 |
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I really hope the market rate hasn’t increased enough to justi fy a ~$0.55 price increase...
66P1800inpieces
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:05 |
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That is super strange. I thought most gas stations only had two tanks and mixed regular and premium to get the mid grades. Based on those prices I guess larger stations have a tank for each.
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facw
> 66P1800inpieces
07/28/2020 at 16:07 |
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Yep, that’s my understanding as well, so this doesn’t make much sense...
Ash78, voting early and often
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:08 |
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I’m going to say simple human error. But I just filled up at Shell today here in AL, at a big intersection with 2 other competing stations:
$1.89
$2.39
$2.79
(and $2.75 for Diesel)
Our national variability in fuel pricing — beyond just taxes — is baffling. Yep, a 90-cent spread. Costco is a little cheaper on regular, but more importantly maintains a 30-cent spread almost all the time. If we both had 93-octane vehicles, I’d keep my membership just for that.
ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:12 |
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I want to say this feels like a someone made a data entry error on whatever this software is that controls the pumps.
Tekamul
> MonkeePuzzle
07/28/2020 at 16:14 |
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They are allowed to price it as they choose, as long as there is no price fixing.
E90M3
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:14 |
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Looks like a refined gallon of regular is still at $1.26 a gallon. Obviously stations are going to charge more than that due to taxes, shipping costs, and markups, but there hasn’t been a huge jump recently. Gas was $1.62 a gallon by me this morning in Greenville, SC.
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Tekamul
> ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
07/28/2020 at 16:15 |
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Yeah , my vote is typo. Probably meant to be 2.29, and they missed on the number pad.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Tekamul
07/28/2020 at 16:19 |
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I think the only restriction is in times of natural disaster
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facw
> Tekamul
07/28/2020 at 16:23 |
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Even $ 2.29 would be a big increase (and out of line with the competition), though I suppose a typo is possible. You think they’d catch that pretty quick when it’s on a big sign out front...
stuckMTB
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:49 |
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Anybody else remember back 10-15 years ago when the jump from 87 to 89 was ~$0.10/gallon and 89 to 91/93 was a similar $0.10-0.15? I’m not sure why it seems so out of balance lately.
Driving two cars that require premium, I get pretty excited of the thought of cheap gas when I see $1.89 advertised on the sign pulling into the station only to find that my 93 octane is gonna cost me $3.29 on a card.
Seems like that particular amount of price gouging might just be a Michigan thing? Seems like when I trip down to Ohio or even highly-taxed New York, premium prices are more or less closer to the cost of regular unleaded.
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My bird IS the word
> facw
07/28/2020 at 16:49 |
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They really only went as low as it did due to the oil futures market. Everyone essentially ran out of places to store it, the price of oil "went negative"
SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
> facw
07/28/2020 at 17:15 |
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Maybe but the spot price of ethanol also factors in... the higher octane might have lower COGS due to the (shitty) ethanol mixed to raise octane.
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facw
> stuckMTB
07/28/2020 at 17:17 |
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The Gulf here is currently $2.03/$2.23/$2.33, so probably should have gone there instead, but was already past it when I remembered I needed gas. This Shell is quite reasonable for regular (usually) , but their spread on premium has been creeping up. They did major renovations over the winter, and I’m wondering if they are now trying to make up for those expenses by soaking premium buyers. Could be worse though, the closest station to my old apartment was routinely $0.30-0.60 per gallon higher for all grades, somewhat shocked anyone fills up there.
Pickup_man
> facw
07/28/2020 at 17:20 |
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Ethanol? 89 is nearly always E10 around here while 87 is hit or miss. If the 89 is E10, but the 87 is ethanol free I could see the price difference.
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stuckMTB
> facw
07/28/2020 at 17:22 |
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Maybe it’s just a Michigan thing here where gas station owners absolutely gouge premium fuel drivers.
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facw
> Pickup_man
07/28/2020 at 17:22 |
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Pretty sure they are all E10. I’ve looked for ethanol free gas here before, but it seems to only be available from very specialized businesses.
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> stuckMTB
07/28/2020 at 17:25 |
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I’m in PA, and premium is usually $0.50-0.70 more than regular. It’s stupid.
Dusty Ventures
> facw
07/28/2020 at 17:37 |
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Midgrade is pretty much always a mixture of regular and premium combined at the pump, not its own separate tank in the ground, so if the price for regular were raised due to low supply the midgrade should be raised as well since it’s made up of 50% regular.
Verdog ~ manual Bro, Bro - HellHawk Equipped
> stuckMTB
07/28/2020 at 18:36 |
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Now that I have the Trackhawk, I’ve noticed HUGE gaps in pricing. My local grocery and walmart are ~.25 spaced, wile mom and pops are .50+ spaces. Granted here in TX its cheap, but it has made me plan my commutes a bit more.
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> facw
07/28/2020 at 18:47 |
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This has to be a typo.
Also diesel guys will love this.
dogisbadob
> facw
07/28/2020 at 18:50 |
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87 is E0; 89 is E10.
That is always the case when 87 costs more than 89.
Be lucky you can actually get E0
The only oddity is the narrow price difference between the gradfes. Usually 93 is 50-70c more than 87.
Sams Club and Costco are the only stations
with a fair price difference between 87 and 93. Usually 20-30c
CRider
> Pickup_man
07/28/2020 at 19:46 |
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That would imply that only premium gas has ethanol in it (E20 at that) , since mid grade is just a a blend of the two.
onlytwowheels
> facw
07/28/2020 at 23:03 |
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Gas station near me does n’t raise the price on 93 octane until they get another shipment at a higher price. Sometimes 87 octane is only 10 cents less. I try not to put the word out, so the lower price lasts a while.