Anybody noticing a sharp spike in gas prices in the last few days? (Seattle: house, taxes) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

jm31828 · 05-10-2012, 05:50 PM

I work down in north Seattle and gas stations there had slowly dropped to $4.19 a gallon and have stayed at that price for some time. However earlier this week they went up to $4.27, and then just two days later- today- they went further up to $4.35! Up here in Lynnwood just today they went up ten cents from $4.09 to $4.19. Anybody else seeing big spikes like this in their areas? And more importantly, anybody hear any real news on why this is?
We have had a slow downward trend in prices here lately, while the rest of the nation has seen a bit of a bigger drop lately. We hear that wholesale prices are down and continue trending down, price of oil has dropped a fair amount on the stock market, so what gives? These are pretty large jumps in such a short time- did another refinery partially shut down around here that has not made the news?

SitoUK · 05-10-2012, 05:58 PM

Hasn't got anything to do with refineries shutting down or other local events, it's all global politics and the fact that there is more and more global demand for more and more difficult to extract oil. Doesn't help that we're at the mercy of the oil companies who don't need a reason to push the price up if they feel like it.

jm31828 · 05-10-2012, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SitoUK

Hasn't got anything to do with refineries shutting down or other local events, it's all global politics and the fact that there is more and more global demand for more and more difficult to extract oil. Doesn't help that we're at the mercy of the oil companies who don't need a reason to push the price up if they feel like it.

I know that is the overall trend and the reason for it, but nationwide gas prices are going down. Also the price of oil is down $10 in the last week or two. However here we're seeing these big spikes- 10-15 cents per gallon- just in the last four days. This is while many back in other parts of the country are seeing double digit drops in their prices. Something local has to be affecting it at this time. Some of the stations near me are higher now than they were at any other time this year- while people I know in the Midwest and East Coast are talking about their prices being down 30 cents from the highs they saw earlier this year.

pw72 · 05-10-2012, 09:33 PM

Gas prices in different states have no rhyme or reason. When oil prices go down, the immediate effect is not always noticeable. Many times, the distributors are working several weeks behind. However, be patient, as places where prices fall slow, usually are slow to increase. It really does all even out in the end.

BTW, I hope everyone realizes that the biggest difference in gas prices have to do with your local state taxes. WA is high, as is CA, and OR. Oklahoma and Missouri are low. Guess what the price of gasoline is lower in those areas.

jm31828 · 05-10-2012, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pw72

Gas prices in different states have no rhyme or reason. When oil prices go down, the immediate effect is not always noticeable. Many times, the distributors are working several weeks behind. However, be patient, as places where prices fall slow, usually are slow to increase. It really does all even out in the end.

BTW, I hope everyone realizes that the biggest difference in gas prices have to do with your local state taxes. WA is high, as is CA, and OR. Oklahoma and Missouri are low. Guess what the price of gasoline is lower in those areas.

Very true about the taxes. But those don't change this quickly, my question is about why the prices are spiking right now, while continuing to go down everywhere else in the country (and theirs is not going down due to the taxes changing, something else is at play here locally right now in this last week or so).

RVD90277 · 05-11-2012, 03:32 PM

sounds like normal noise to me...prices fluctuate on a daily basis like stock.

now if gas were to go up to $6/gallon or $10/gallon there will be an explanation..but going from like $4.15 to $4.30 or $4.45 is just random noise.

Ira500 · 05-11-2012, 03:36 PM

In Renton, at the Safeway, the bottom was about a week ago at 3.91 and now is 3.95. Not a huge spike.

Inkpoe · 05-11-2012, 03:40 PM

There's one gas station in Seatac that's around 4.47. I can only assume that they're simply trying to take advantage of the i5 traffic (since it's situated right next i5) and get an early start on the whole Memorial Day traffic (since generally that's when gas goes up). If you pass that station and go down to hwy 99, its about 4.20.

evergraystate · 05-11-2012, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm31828

Anybody noticing a sharp spike in gas prices in the last few days?

Nope
Seattle Gas Prices

Adrian71 · 05-11-2012, 06:22 PM

Just this morning, I commented to my wife about a 76 station not far from our house in Renton -- yesterday gas was $3.99, and this morning it was $4.16. She chalked it up to a holiday weekend -- people traveling to go visit their moms. I've never seen prices spike for Mother's Day, though, and as noted, crude prices have been falling over the past couple of weeks. Anyway, yes, I've noticed it, too. I really wish we could afford an electric car. Tired at being at the mercy of these price-gouging oil companies.