[68vette]

What is going on with the price of gas in Vermont? I would have thought we were doing very well with the way prices have come down, but I changed my mind when I drove to Ct this weekend. In the Burlington area prices have been right around the 3.09 range while in Montpelier they are around the 2.99 range. I stopped for gas in Springfield, Mass and the price is always within 5 cents of prices in Burlington. The price in Springfield was 2.60 per gallon. Then the big shocker was when I was on the Merritt Parkway in Ct. The price of gas is always 50-75 cents more per gallon than in Vermont. I never get gas on the Parkway unless I'm desperate. The price on the Parkway was cheaper than in Vermont at 2.98 per gallon. My inlaws live in Central Florida and pay about the same price as we do in Vermont and when I talked to them this morning the price was 2.45 per gallon. Does anyone know why our prices are so much higher?

[tkln]

I bought regular on 95 in CT this past weekend for $2.89, which was amazing for me. Here in NY/LI, it's just starting to come down - lowest I've seen this week was $3.05.

I was reading an article this week that said a lot of companies aren't dropping their prices so fast as they're trying to make some extra $$.

[flu189]

It's the cost of doing business, namely the cost being passed on to you and me, the consumer. The gasoline retail climate in Burlington is such that they are keeping prices as high as they can to sort of make up for actual or perceived profit margin loss when gas skyrocketed to over $4 p/gal. It will take some retailers to drop the the price down into 2.40 region to force the others to follow suit. The problem here is that the amount of retailers and consumers is limited and without a serious public outcry and demonstration along with timely state oversight perhaps, we will continue to pay well over what we should based on the current wholesale rate. So we are essentially being gouged and because most people are just happy that gas has gone down in price at all, with the absence of sizable vocal protest, then they will charge what the market will bear. Now just wait and see which next geopolitical event, or perception, or OPEC action, will cause oil to rise. Heck , they will raise prices so fast that it would not surprise me that if you were at the filling station they would literally shut the pump down, raise the price, and then let you resume filling up.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by flu189

It's the cost of doing business, namely the cost being passed on to you and me, the consumer. The gasoline retail climate in Burlington is such that they are keeping prices as high as they can to sort of make up for actual or perceived profit margin loss when gas skyrocketed to over $4 p/gal. It will take some retailers to drop the the price down into 2.40 region to force the others to follow suit. The problem here is that the amount of retailers and consumers is limited and without a serious public outcry and demonstration along with timely state oversight perhaps, we will continue to pay well over what we should based on the current wholesale rate. So we are essentially being gouged and because most people are just happy that gas has gone down in price at all, with the absence of sizable vocal protest, then they will charge what the market will bear. Now just wait and see which next geopolitical event, or perception, or OPEC action, will cause oil to rise. Heck , they will raise prices so fast that it would not surprise me that if you were at the filling station they would literally shut the pump down, raise the price, and then let you resume filling up.

We are not being gouged. The national price right now is about $2.90/gal. I saw $2.85 on Burlington last week. What gouge? We are alot further from the refineries in Jersey than Ct. The price of doing business is more expensive in Vermont. It also has to do with state taxes which account for a bigger part of the price at the pump than you might realize. Competition also plays a role.

Gas stations whether it's a company store or independently owned are not making much of a profit with the prices at the pump down so much. Gouging is when a business is making higher profits than they should. Gouging is an easy politically correct excuse but the facts don't support it.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

We are not being gouged. The national price right now is about $2.90/gal. I saw $2.85 on Burlington last week. What gouge? We are alot further from the refineries in Jersey than Ct. The price of doing business is more expensive in Vermont. It also has to do with state taxes which account for a bigger part of the price at the pump than you might realize. Competition also plays a role.

Gas stations whether it's a company store or independently owned are not making much of a profit with the prices at the pump down so much. Gouging is when a business is making higher profits than they should. Gouging is an easy politically correct excuse but the facts don't support it.

Where did you see $2.85 in Burlington last week? I haven't seen under
$3.00 yet

[quickdraw]

From what I understand, Opec has called an emergency meeting this week to discuss the rapid drop in oil prices. Let's hope they don't cut back supply. I just got 300 gallons of oil for $2.95.
I wish I had enough cash to get another couple hundred gallons.

[mustmove]

I though VT had some of the lowest state taxes[shocking] on gasoline. I suspect gas stations are just being slow to drop their prices because they can. Same as wages, taxes, and everything else up here- what are you going to do about it? leave?

[GypsySoul22]

Here is was $2.83/gallon this morning! The gas station near our house is a good 20-40 cents per gallon cheaper than in our old town!!

[flu189]

Tell us MRV exactly where last week in the Burlington area you saw $2.82 per gallon. The prices in the last week have dropped .07 to .10 and right now the price variance in Chittenden County is from $3.03 to 3.19 per gallon. The cheapest rates right now are in Rutland County ranging from 2.78 to 2.85. I am on the road quite a bit as are my colleagues and in addition to checking daily datebases. Also, two members in my guard unit work in the fuel business and they have confirmed that pricing in our market at present is exactly what I referred to earlier. Retailers will charge what they can to make up for earlier flucuations where they may have lost. I never implied that the end retailers are getting rich on their gasoline sales as I know they only make pennies on the gallon, but the wholesale rate has substantially dropped even here in Chittenden County. Also, transporting bulk fuel the extra distance from Bayonne/Perth Amboy Terminals to this part of New England does not add .15 to .25 or even more to the cost. I realize that for some the attitude is the price of fuel, food, taxes, etc "is what it is" but rationalizing away high costs when they don't have to be as high is what is really putting the hurt on the population.

[flu189]

Originally Posted by mustmove

I though VT had some of the lowest state taxes[shocking] on gasoline. I suspect gas stations are just being slow to drop their prices because they can. Same as wages, taxes, and everything else up here- what are you going to do about it? leave?

Another thing to watch are "fuel surcharges" which certain businesses have tacked on to delivery rates. I understand the initial increases as much as I don't like it, but you will find that when prices drop the surcharges remain locked in. An example would be the company that installed my water softener and provides routine supply delivery and service. It was nice and convenient at first, but after I started checking the invoices I discovered that their "service" charge on top their "fuel surcharge" has tripled in the last 18 months. It's way cheaper to get the supplies myself and do the routine servicing.