MachBuster
FUG Senior
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 131
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I can't say I've ever seen the price of a gallon of gas vary as much as it currently does. I'm pretty well versed in the factors that affect the cost of retail gas at stations, but even so, the differences are amazing, since there used to be a reasonable degree of uniformity (within a few pennies) of pump prices between various companies and individual stations.
For instance, driving from the DC area yesterday, the cost of a gallon of premium (the only kind I can use) in the NOVA area is still hovering around $4.20 to $4.30. This gradually drops to around $4.10 to $4.20 as you go farther south through Charles County. The last Exxon on southbound 301 in La Plata had premium at $4.09.
Cross the river into King George and a gallon of high-test at the Sheetz costs $3.75! Guess where I topped off?? A couple of miles down at the road at the WaWa at 301 and 206 premium was $3.95. At the Q-Stop at the Circle high-test was $3.79 this morning. Of course, these are not "name" brands, and it's been known to happen that some shady station owners occasionally use lower grade and quality gas than what they advertise at the pump.
The difference for a tankful for me at the La Plata Exxon versus the King George Sheetz was $7.50 (22 gallons with a 34-cent differential). Now that's quite a spread!
At least prices have been heading in the right direction.
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XBeast
FUGmaster Flash
Reged: 12/02/02
Posts: 23470
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Fredericksburg was like that a week+ ago. Everyone has now evened out at 3.55 except WalMart and Costco, they are 3.52.
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“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand” Milton Friedman
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vamomof2
FUG Senior
Reged: 03/30/06
Posts: 164
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We had to go through the Aquia area this morning and I saw the gas prices were like 20 cents cheaper than in South Stafford.
Edited by vamomof2 (08/20/08 02:25 PM)
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kimcmitch
FUGmaster Flash
Reged: 01/20/05
Posts: 22158
Loc: this side of the mountain
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It's a little thing called taxes.
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MachBuster
FUG Senior
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 131
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Quote:
It's a little thing called taxes.
Well, yes and no. Maryland's gas tax is 23.5 cents per gallon, versus 17.5 cents in Virginia. A difference, to be sure, but I still like that $3.75 premium at the KG Sheetz versus the $4.09 Exxon in La Plata! 
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john1315
stranger
Reged: 06/23/06
Posts: 17598
Loc: Mars (duhhh)
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3.34 in dale city today
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I will not believe that corporations are people until Texas executes one.
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Chipotle_Man
Super FUG
Reged: 12/29/03
Posts: 4897
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
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Quote:
3.34 in dale city today
Tank up! And get a free hot dog, a green hulk big-gulp, and a car wash.
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vipper
Super FUG
Reged: 01/22/08
Posts: 3142
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when I posted ,several months ago, that the prices would be dropping off. I got the BS sign from many. So I'm glad I was right. still 35 to 38 cents to go. 3 weeks. So who's full of BS now?
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jrectorinkg
stranger
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 68
Loc: KingGeorge
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I started workin at Quantico early July and noticed the large difference in north Stafford gas prices and the south Stafford and King George prices. the WAWA on Butler rd. would be for example 3.55 for regular on the same date the WAWA on Rt. 1 near Aquia would be 3.33 that is crazy! I looked at something I had wrote back in 1998 that I noted the gas prices of .80 at WAWA. in 10 years gas has gone up around $3
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HasOpinion
FUG Freshman
Reged: 04/26/07
Posts: 37
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Also note that the trucks that deliver charge each station different based on cost it takes them to deliver. Further out on the route, the more they charge that station. Routes can change anytime the company that delivers can find a more efficient route (or route to make them more money). In lower gas price time, the difference wasn't as noticable but since they too have to pay more for gas, longer trips mean more gas used by them thus bigger differences in what they charge to deliver the gas. Thus bigger visible differences in stations in various parts of county or between counties. Not to mention as traffic worsens it means they are stuck longer in traffic thus charge more. All these changes get pushed down to the price we pay. Add that with various local taxes and presto, all kinds of price variations.
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Funion
FUG Senior
Reged: 12/16/03
Posts: 113
Loc: Lake of the Woods
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Hasopinion is talking out of his/her arse.
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vamomof2
FUG Senior
Reged: 03/30/06
Posts: 164
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Down to $1.81 at the corner of Rt. 3/Rt. 206 this afternoon.
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MachBuster
FUG Senior
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 131
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High test at the Sheetz just outside Gate B at Dahlgren is $1.99. First time in years I can top off for $40. Back in the summer I spent $85 to top off.
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vipper
Super FUG
Reged: 01/22/08
Posts: 3142
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Well its great to see the prices go down. Hopefully the prices on goods will fallow. I have not see any sign of this yet , but one can be hopeful.
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jrectorinkg
stranger
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 68
Loc: KingGeorge
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$1.78 for regular at the Wawa on Butler and White Oak Rd. and same price at the Sheetz near Central Park.
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masterbeater
Mega FUG
Reged: 07/23/07
Posts: 8370
Loc: Spotsylvania
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1.79 at the 7 11 on my corner. The problem is I forget where I used to go. I'm used to staying close home now and I don't mind it a bit. so what if we're out of groceries.
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kimcmitch
FUGmaster Flash
Reged: 01/20/05
Posts: 22158
Loc: this side of the mountain
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MrKim said it was $1.69 on Gordon this morning
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kgmome3
FUG Addict
Reged: 07/20/06
Posts: 1585
Loc: King George, VA
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1.69 at the Ferry Farm Sheetz just a few minutes ago.
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Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.
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scott_b
Mystical FUG Sage
Reged: 01/17/04
Posts: 5982
Loc: Shooting down the Red Baron
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Gas here in Vienna is still $2.15 for regular. I paid $1.63 over the weekend in Winchester.
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Ketchup makes everything taste better.
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Fade2Black
FUG Senior
Reged: 06/08/06
Posts: 170
Loc: K.G. VA
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I actually miss having the prices up around the $4 mark... because all the crazy drivers seem to be back on the streets... especially the closer you get to DC.
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dayzdaze
stranger
Reged: 05/24/06
Posts: 179
Loc: King George
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Send me the extra funds--I'll spend them for you!
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jrectorinkg
stranger
Reged: 07/26/06
Posts: 68
Loc: KingGeorge
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ya really I can actually go somewhere other than work now!
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XBeast
FUGmaster Flash
Reged: 12/02/02
Posts: 23470
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1.59 in multiple places last nigth around spotsy.
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“If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand” Milton Friedman
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vamomof2
FUG Senior
Reged: 03/30/06
Posts: 164
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$1.59 at Sheetz at red light at Fall Hill Avenue/Celebrate Va Pkwy.
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MachBuster
FUG Senior
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 131
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The cheapest premium I've seen so far is now at McDaniels in Dahlgren on 301 at $1.93. The Sheetz by B Gate is still at $1.95, and the WaWa at 301 and 206 remains 20 cents higher on all grades.
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oisin
FUGmaster Flash
Reged: 07/24/02
Posts: 20928
Loc: Fredericksburg
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With a 20 cent + price deference filling a 20 gallon tank would make it worth the drive to the burg then.
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Just how intelligent can someone be if they quote Sarah Palin and pretend it is their own?
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CbtEngr
FUG Sophomore
Reged: 10/13/05
Posts: 46
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Quote:
The cheapest premium I've seen so far is now at McDaniels in Dahlgren on 301 at $1.93. The Sheetz by B Gate is still at $1.95, and the WaWa at 301 and 206 remains 20 cents higher on all grades.
Nevermind 
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Tiger_II_Jim
FUG Addict
Reged: 11/12/03
Posts: 1269
Loc: Downtown Fredericksburg
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This past Sunday at the Central Park Wal Mart regular was $1.59.9 and premium was $1.79.9 (using the Wal Mart charge card = $0.03/gal discount). I've found that they usually have the lowest gas prices in the area.
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Tiger_II_Jim
LBC (Little British Car) with a V8 - Hang on if you can!
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MachBuster
FUG Senior
Reged: 01/04/08
Posts: 131
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Drove down to KG from NOVA this afternoon and the cost of premium declined steadily as I got further south. Most stations in Arlington and Alexandria are still in the $2.30 to $2.50 range. Today the Sheetz at B Gate had high test at $1.89, down 6 cents from Monday.
The trend is our friend.
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dayzdaze
stranger
Reged: 05/24/06
Posts: 179
Loc: King George
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When did that 9/10th of a cent nonsense begin, anyway? Are we REALLY getting 1/10th of a cent's worth of gas with each gallon?
I'd happily patronize a gas station that would advertise the
price of a gallon in a straightforward manner!
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Fade2Black
FUG Senior
Reged: 06/08/06
Posts: 170
Loc: K.G. VA
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"The use of fractional prices goes back to at least seventy or eighty years back. In 1914, a Texaco service station's gas price was 14.5 cent per gallon. But 9/10 cent fraction pricing came during the 'great depression' of 1930s. The great depression decimated the demand for gasoline. More than 2.6 million cars and trucks were taken off the road, and the consumption of gasoline was down a billion gallons per year in both 1932 and 1933. Gas stations fought to service. Production at the time was running far above demand and the market quickly went into a serious oversupply situation. It was at that time that premiums such as candy, cigarettes, ashtrays, dolls and countless other giveaway items made their appearance at service stations. In such a competitive climate the gasoline marketers of the day were attracted to the concept of fractional pricing. Incidentally mechanical gasoline pumps with provision to set fractional price made their appearance at service stations around same time."
"When prices zoomed at the gas pumps during the oil crisis of the 1970s and federal price and supply controls were imposed, individual stations lost the autonomy to set prices. The government issued mandated formulas for pricing, which resulted in unusual fractional amounts. Most motorists were accustomed to the price ending in 9/10th of cent, but reacted negatively to other arbitrary fractions. So, 9/10-cent price convention continued.
True, One of the smart marketing/selling/advertising techniques is "show pleasing thing in big display and pricking info in small print"!!"
[Information courtesy: C.F.Helvie, former Customer Relations Manager - Mobil Oil Corporation]
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Fade2Black
FUG Senior
Reged: 06/08/06
Posts: 170
Loc: K.G. VA
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Recently I noticed that our local gas stations in the Dahlgren area seem to be taking advantage of the consumer. All five of them are selling at 1.53 a gallon... yeah I know that is better then what it was in July. However historically Maryland has always been about 15 cents more. WHY, because they have a large sales tax.
So on my commute to work in DC I am seeing prices all through out Charles County for the same price or less. Matter of fact we are one of the highest in the area.
Check out
GasBuddy.com
You can see for yourself.
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Evander
FUG Honcho
Reged: 08/04/07
Posts: 1745
Loc: a little off center
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When gas prices spiked back in the summer, we continued to guzzle it down. The companies know we will pay anything for gas. This doesn't bode well for the future.
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Minx
stranger
Reged: 02/21/07
Posts: 14859
Loc: Stafford
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This is true - also when the gas prices were higher, people at least started talking about being more energy-efficient and trading in larger cars and trucks that they didn't really need. Now that gas is lower again, I suspect that everyone will forget the pain and go right back to their old wasteful habits.
One thing that those gas prices did in our household was jumpstart our plans to remodel and get more efficient - replaced windows and old appliances that were on their last legs to save some on electrical and heating costs. Hoping to see some savings this month now that 80% of the work is done.
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vipper
Super FUG
Reged: 01/22/08
Posts: 3142
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minx, thats our plane for this year, we have all ready started on some appliances. We have taken advantage of the year end model sales. switched every thing energy star.
considering adding insulation to attic.
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