prices 3 days ago here in fl.

 

BP, IMO, used to be a classic ripoff....their gas prices were noticeably higher than almost any other national name-brand. Lately (and by "lately", I mean the last few years), I've noticed that they have backed off somewhat on their average gas prices......perhaps because of all the bad press they got from the big oil-rig accident in the Gulf and the hit their public relations took.

 

I've never really found that different brands have higher prices than others. Certainly "name brand" stations have higher prices than "no brand" stations, but beyond that...if I roll through an area an Exxon, Shell, BP, Sunoco, all have similar or exactly the same prices in a cluster because of local competition. You can drive 3 blocks up the road and it can be a lot more or a lot less depending on the competition there at that particular local spot. If theres a "no brand" station in that cluster, the "name brand" stations might be a little bit more than that, or exactly the same. Sometimes regular is the same and the high test is a little more than high test at the "no brand" station.

Anyways, BP doesn't own the stations, they're franchises. They don't set pricing on a corporate level.

 

Yes, that's pretty much the case now......the way you describe it, where geographical region or neighborhood has more of an impact on prices than the brand. But, with BP, I was talking about several years ago........before the big Gulf oil accident. In my area at least (Fairfax County) BP franchises, even if not company-owned, were usually 20-30 cents above most other competing major name-brands....and even more than that above the cut-rate brands (Liberty, Crown, Hess, Fina, etc.....)

In my area, I distinctly noticed that local BP prices, more so than others, went down after that oil-spill, even though the company had huge clean-up and tort/liability-settlement bills.

 

I spend time in Fairfax County, lets put it this way, I have never seen any gas station positioned around other gas stations that is "20-30c" higher per gallon than the gas station they are directly competing against (i.e. within sight)...anywhere. A couple of cents, maybe, 10c? Absolute max. 20-30c? I don't know that you're remembering correctly.

I'm sure BP franchisees did reduce fuel prices during the oil spill, but that was an independent franchise decision, not a BP decision.

 

There is a big BP refinery in the Chicago area, in NW Indiana which supplies gas to many of the wholesaler/distributors on the area. As mentioned, nearly all of the stations are franchises and can set their own prices which is driven by their competition. You rarely see much of a difference in pricing from one station to another in a given area.

 

Yes, I'm remembering correctly...I've lived in this area for almost a half century. Even today, though, it's common to see a good 20 cents or so difference in the same brands in stations (such as Shell) as close together as, say, Fairfax, Vienna, Falls Church, Arlington, and Springfield. West of there, towards Prince William County and Manassas, pump-prices drop off even more because of the slower cost of doing business.

The highest priced local BP franchise I saw, though, in Vienna....it went out of business several years ago. They had a hard time competing with lower-cost stations around them, even in high-priced Vienna.

Oh yes, I agree......local pump-prices have the be set by local conditions, not company managers.

Those legal settlements, BTW, the cost of cleaning up the spill, reclaiming the wetlands, fines being paid, PR money spent, etc.....are still far from over. They have been tied up in the courts and with the government for more than 5 years now, and probably will be for the next 5 as well.

 

I'm not talking about prices in different towns, I'm talking about prices right in the cluster where the station is. For instance right now I'm waiting for a pump to stop filling at a Sunoco. Regular here is $2.33. There's an Exxon next door. $2.33. BP across the street...guess the price? $2.33. That's my point...the prices are the same. The BP isn't $2.63. Now...3 miles up the road all the stations may be $.30 more. The difference is not the brand.

I'm not talking about comparing Vienna and Falls Church. That's not close together lol

 

ok, enough about gas brands, this is about gas prices.

 

OK, then, in my area (VA/D.C. suburbs), prices for 87 octane generally run a fairly wide spread......from around $2.40 to $2.80 or so, depending on brand and precise location (I often get a discount at some stations from my grocery-bonus card). I haven't really followed 91 or 93 octane (or diesel fuel) prices that much, as I usually don't buy it. Forecasts are (and we'll have to wait and see) that 87 octane could dip as low as $2.00 in this area by the end of the year.......in some low-cost areas of the country, from what I hear, they are already close to that now.

One reason, of course, is that crude oil is down to roughly $39 a barrel on the world market price.....(the lowest it has been in years), and shows no sign of going back up anytime soon, unless a storm knocks out a refinery, or something calamitous happens in the Middle East.

 

I share the frustration expressed above. I live in an alleged affluent community south of Nashville with 6 gas stations (5 w/markets, 1 full service station w/mechanics), but only 4 different owners. Regular is 2.49 and Premium 2.95, generally $.30 -.40 cents higher than surrounding areas. Yesterday I was in a community about 15 miles southeast and Regular is 1.99 and Premium 2.39. Needless to say, I try to time my fueling so as not to have to use the local stations.

Yesterday was the first time in a long time I have seen Regular below 2.00.

 

Thanks. That verifies what I've heard.....$2.00 or below in some areas.

 

Saw regular at 1.89 off I-40, west of Knoxville yesterday. Unfortunately I had already filled up with 2.27 premium at a station that had regular at 1.95

 

down to $1.52 in Houston.....