Why California gas station prices vary so wildly from station to station?

[DriveNotCommute]

I spend between $30-45 a week in gasoline.

If I could go electric, a big pro would be that home owners can potentially become their own fuel supplier (even if only by a little) by installing solar panels and maybe small wind turbines. You could even produce electricity via gasoline generator out of pure spite, even with the cost inefficiencies.

Sure that isn't cheap (for now) but the point is that some level of personal independence is achievable. Almost nobody is even remotely capable of creating a setup at home that is capable of refining high quality gasoline.

About the tread's main topic, I remember reading or hearing on the news a long, long time ago that prices for gas stations (at least the franchised ones) are set by their suppliers. Most owners supposedly do not earn a significant profit from the sale of gasoline, but rather mostly make their money on convenience store sales. Part of the faint memories was that they implied that the economic profile of the neighborhood/ZIP code played some role in it.

[citizensadvocate]

Originally Posted by DriveNotCommute

I spend between $30-45 a week in gasoline.

If I could go electric, a big pro would be that home owners can potentially become their own fuel supplier (even if only by a little) by installing solar panels and maybe small wind turbines. You could even produce electricity via gasoline generator out of pure spite, even with the cost inefficiencies.

Sure that isn't cheap (for now) but the point is that some level of personal independence is achievable. Almost nobody is even remotely capable of creating a setup at home that is capable of refining high quality gasoline.

About the tread's main topic, I remember reading or hearing on the news a long, long time ago that prices for gas stations (at least the franchised ones) are set by their suppliers. Most owners supposedly do not earn a significant profit from the sale of gasoline, but rather mostly make their money on convenience store sales. Part of the faint memories was that they implied that the economic profile of the neighborhood/ZIP code played some role in it.

I am beginning to suspect that all those conservation tactics (including setback thermostats, timers operated appliances, solar panels, and electric cars) pushed these days has backfired in causing electric rates to be super high as these big companies who have monopolistic powers over their service areas need to charge more especially with the new TOU rates to stay in business(And to avoid crediting too much power units to solar owners). As it appears they receive less funding during the day as people are less likely to leave heat/ac on during the day but turn them on in unison along with many other appliances and lights at evening/night when solar panels would underperform or be useless.

Its beyond me why people who own their own homes don't install solar and wind generators(California is pretty windy especially at the evening when there isn't enough sun for solar panels) though perhaps people should install Generac natural gas generators as well since natural gas costs considerably less in California in addition to how these big power companies are now mandating power cuts on high wind days to minimize fire liability. In this case shouldn't the power companies be paying for natural gas generators to compensate customers for lost electricity?

I know that electric car companies such as Tesla has stopped its complementary super charging perks a while ago I am believing that electric rates are just too high for that. This means that in the near future owners of electric cars would probably pay more than filling up their gas cars unless they generate power on their own.

Good explaination on the zip codes, though what explains the huge variance in prices just across the street or down the street? Interesting its not that apparent in Baja California or other states prices do vary but not that much. Of course, down south there is the separate issue of being gringolized but that is a totally different topic.

I remember filling up a rental car at the only gas station next to Denver Airport but the prices at that station are not really higher than other gas stations in Denver.