Fuel shortages & prices

[Suneate]

Where I am in Australia, fuel is kinda going crazy. Where my parents live petrol stations are closing as they don't have any deliveries coming in. I am paying $3.15 AUD a litre for diesel ($11.92 per gallon AUD, that's $8.27 USD). Got the order from work that we're to work from home until further notice. Wife still has to go to work, but her car just bounces along on great fuel economy. 

How is the fuel pricing in your area? Are you seeing price gouging in your areas? 

[Anianna]

There's a janky station here (Richmond area in Virginia, US) that always has measurement infractions charging $3.75/gal for Regular, but everyone else is charging $3.95 - $4.09 today as far as I see.  Diesel is popping at $4.99 - $5.59 today.  

Various places are tacking on fees to account for the higher prices, even the Postal Services is jacking up fees for parcels (not letters, though).  I've been tipping more for deliveries.  There may not be deliveries anymore if this keeps up and then I'll have to get my jacked up immune system back in public to get my groceries again.  I used to be sick all the time, but have managed to be mostly healthy since deliveries became an option.  It's going to really suck if nobody can afford to do that job anymore.

[Moab]

In LA we regularly paid $5.  I think we just got used to being screwed on everything. 

Here in the Phillipines it's almost tripled in price. Nearing Norma's in the US cited above. Some stations out of gas. And the gov saying this could lead to outages. They have very little reserve here. Gov is all but disfunctional. Not surprising. 

I have two 20 liter cans I need to go try to fill tonite. Keeping the car full. 

[MacWa77ace]

There's an app called Gas Buddy that I use when there's wild fluctuations like I've been seeing. It's weird cause within a mile you can get a $0.40 / gallon difference between different gas stations. One goes up, one goes down. Lowest I've seen for regular in my two A/O's lately [work and home] is 3.89 and the highest was 4.09.

A couple fill ups ago the station next to my work was 4.09 but I got gas at one a half mile away for 3.69. That was a couple weeks ago. That's the biggest swing within a competing gas stations I've seen.

@Moab the price of gas in CA is about $7 now and they are trying to pass another gas tax to take it up another $0.50-$1.

[DarkAxel]

Prices in my area have been holding steady at around $3.75 per gallon in the last few days. Cheapest is at the Food City Gas n Go at $3.59 with the loyalty program discount. Highest is at a local independent gas station at $3.95.

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I live close to a Buc-cees.........

When Buc-cees goes in somewhere new they negotiate a tax hiatus that gradually stages in fuel taxes over ten years. This makes their gas cheaper than anywhere else. While the lines are legend on the weekends, during the week mornings they aren't bad at all. So locally gas is around $3.65 a gallon; $3.50 gallon at Buc-cees. 

If I buy a car wash I get $1/ gallon rebate towards the wash, up to $15, which makes the car wash cost $1. in December this meant gas was $1.50 gallon, but now is $2.50. This isn't too bad, about the same as 2022-2023 prices. So I buy 2/3 tank of gas for the truck and get a "free" wash.

But I seldom drive my truck. I live 6 miles from work and ride one of my motorcycles that get either 46 or 48 MPG. With a five gallon tank this works out to 4-5 daily commutes for 1 gallon of gas. One month of commuting is about 5 gallons or about one tank of gas. I should point out that I have to put premium (hi-octane) gas in the bikes which is about $.80 more per gallon. So it costs me about $20 a month to commute to work. If I lived 18 miles away it would be $60 a month.

Sometimes I drive the truck because it is raining hard or very cold. When this happens I use about .7 gallons of regular or for a week it is 3.5 gallons or about $13 a week. I also work in trips to the grocery store with commutes which burns a fractional amount. My bikes are large touring bikes and I can fit 8-10 normal sized plastic grocery bags in to either bike. 

Last week we did take a spring break and traveled around in Georgia and Florida. Gas was $4.00 - $3.30 a gallon pretty much everywhere.

Seems every other country in the world learned long ago that motorcycles and scooters are way cheaper and more efficient than driving a car, truck or SUV. My suggestion is to get a VStrom 650 or 850. The bikes are inexpensive, way more reliable than a KLR, get 42-50 MPG and are fast enough for the interstate. They are worry free and need little maintenance. If you live in town get a scooter in the 350cc range. It will pay for itself in a year if you buy used. 

Just a note of caution, If you live in the US you have to drive very defensively and assume that 10% of the drivers on the road are either high or drunk, because they are. The penalties in the US for driving intoxicated and killing someone are very low compared to other countries so people do it all the time and kill people regularly. 

[Moab]

There's an app called Gas Buddy that I use when there's wild fluctuations like I've been seeing. It's weird cause within a mile you can get a $0.40 / gallon difference between different gas stations. One goes up, one goes down. Lowest I've seen for regular in my two A/O's lately [work and home] is 3.89 and the highest was 4.09.

A couple fill ups ago the station next to my work was 4.09 but I got gas at one a half mile away for 3.69. That was a couple weeks ago. That's the biggest swing within a competing gas stations I've seen.

@Moab the price of gas in CA is about $7 now and they are trying to pass another gas tax to take it up another $0.50-$1.

Yes. Gas in CA has been over $5 for several years now. And since selling off the "public" utilities to private corporations.  A monthly power bill is $400.

There seem to be only a few reasons to live in CA. Your super wealthy and to stupid to move. Because the state takes 15% right off the top with state tax. Much more in fees and costs just existing there. 

Or your indigent, homeless or illegally immigrated. Or all three. And then you get thousands in monthly benefits to live free, eat free, see the doctor free. And vote free. As you aren't allowed to show your ID when you vote. You can connect the dots. 

[Uomo Senza Nome]

There's an app called Gas Buddy that I use when there's wild fluctuations like I've been seeing. It's weird cause within a mile you can get a $0.40 / gallon difference between different gas stations. One goes up, one goes down. Lowest I've seen for regular in my two A/O's lately [work and home] is 3.89 and the highest was 4.09.

A couple fill ups ago the station next to my work was 4.09 but I got gas at one a half mile away for 3.69. That was a couple weeks ago. That's the biggest swing within a competing gas stations I've seen.

@Moab the price of gas in CA is about $7 now and they are trying to pass another gas tax to take it up another $0.50-$1.

Yes. Gas in CA has been over $5 for several years now. And since selling off the "public" utilities to private corporations.  A monthly power bill is $400.

There seem to be only a few reasons to live in CA. Your super wealthy and to stupid to move. Because the state takes 15% right off the top with state tax. Much more in fees and costs just existing there.

Or your indigent, homeless or illegally immigrated. Or all three. And then you get thousands in monthly benefits to live free, eat free, see the doctor free. And vote free. As you aren't allowed to show your ID when you vote. You can connect the dots.

The whole super wealthy and too stupid to move is no longer true. Billionaires have been deserting California like the whole state is full of radioactive zombies. More than a trillion dollars in assets have walked out of the state with every heavyweight billionaire in the state moving to either Texas or Florida in the last 12 months. The only exception is the one that is openly working for Chinese propaganda activists to turn the US to socialism, Neville Singham. It is ironic because his actions led the others to abandon the state; the "one time billionaire tax". 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Roy_Singham

[Moab]

There's an app called Gas Buddy that I use when there's wild fluctuations like I've been seeing. It's weird cause within a mile you can get a $0.40 / gallon difference between different gas stations. One goes up, one goes down. Lowest I've seen for regular in my two A/O's lately [work and home] is 3.89 and the highest was 4.09.

A couple fill ups ago the station next to my work was 4.09 but I got gas at one a half mile away for 3.69. That was a couple weeks ago. That's the biggest swing within a competing gas stations I've seen.

@Moab the price of gas in CA is about $7 now and they are trying to pass another gas tax to take it up another $0.50-$1.

Yes. Gas in CA has been over $5 for several years now. And since selling off the "public" utilities to private corporations.  A monthly power bill is $400.

There seem to be only a few reasons to live in CA. Your super wealthy and to stupid to move. Because the state takes 15% right off the top with state tax. Much more in fees and costs just existing there.

Or your indigent, homeless or illegally immigrated. Or all three. And then you get thousands in monthly benefits to live free, eat free, see the doctor free. And vote free. As you aren't allowed to show your ID when you vote. You can connect the dots.

The whole super wealthy and too stupid to move is no longer true. Billionaires have been deserting California like the whole state is full of radioactive zombies. More than a trillion dollars in assets have walked out of the state with every heavyweight billionaire in the state moving to either Texas or Florida in the last 12 months. The only exception is the one that is openly working for Chinese propaganda activists to turn the US to socialism, Neville Singham. It is ironic because his actions led the others to abandon the state; the "one time billionaire tax".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Roy_Singham

I'm not saying millions haven't abandoned that crap hole. I'm simply saying it's a mess. And you've either got to be to stupid to move. Or your making money off all the free benefits. That's the high taxes pay for. 

[Rednex]

Next town over had it $3.80 a gallon for regular, in my town $3.80 to $4.00 a gallon of regular.

[DarkAxel]

Prices have dropped a little in my area. $3.79 is the highest, and  $3.49 the cheapest. Most places are selling it at $3.64 per gallon. 

[tirls]

Around $8.80. Our minister of transport recommended taking the train.

[echo83]

$3.75 USD a gallon for regular around me. Nothing like a plastic bag around a couple of the pumps at a station to get people nervous though. I swear it actually makes people want to line up. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

Diesel in my AO is about $5.50 a gallon and gas goes between $3.49 to $3.75 depending on the particular gas station you choose to stop at.

So far no shortages other than the typical "gas station owner forgot to order fuel again" type which happens occasionally.

[Habu]

Ye gads, I almost feel bad that gas here is relatively cheap.  Pre-Iran, a gallon of ethanol-blend was hovering around 2.799, shot up to 3.399,paused, then to 3.599.  It dropped to 3.359 a few days ago.  

Of course, if you want to do anything more than shopping for groceries at Wallyworld, hitting one of our fine fast-food establishments, or buy farm supplies, you're looking at at least a 35 mile trip (one way).  Driving my old truck, a run to Home Despot is around 3 hours of windshield time and ~$40 in gas.

[EBuff75]

Filled up tonight at $3.489 / gallon at Sam's Club.  It was $3.649 at the gas station next door.

Interesting thing that I don't ever remember seeing before - it has warmed up / gotten so humid, so quickly that the still-cold fuel is causing condensation all over the fittings on the pump and hose.  It was literally dripping off of the fittings when I filled up!  I didn't notice it until my hand was all wet.  I thought maybe it was leaking fuel and smelled it, but it was just water.  That was when I noticed that it was like that on every one of the metal connections.

[Anianna]

I don't know if y'all heard, but starting in May, the EPA has issued an E15 waiver.  Usually, E15 is banned through the summer because it burns too much faster in the heat which increases smog, gives poorer gas mileage, and also leads to more deforestation to make room for the farming demand, but since the E15 gas is more diluted with ethanol, it will be cheaper to make with oil prices rising and helps stretch our inventory of gas.