About Automotive

The hunt for cheap gas is on. Gas stations can never lower gas prices fast enough to keep consumers happy, but these days it seems as if the price of gas is not dropping at the same speed as employment. With the unemployment rate at the highest it has been since the Great Depression, consumers expect prices to be dropping as well. Unfortunately the cost of desired goods is not matching American incomes. Gasoline is a desired good that can never be cheap enough. Americans commute a lot and that requires a hefty amount of gasoline. Since America imports most of our oil, the U.S. government does not completely control the cost and therefore price of gasoline. Currently, gasoline is priced around $3 a gallon. Gas stations price gasoline based on their competitors. Big brand gas stations will always charge more. Mobil is commonly the most expensive place to pump gas; it is not uncommon to find their prices above all other stations in your area. Another expensive place to pump gas is 76 gas station. They also typically have higher prices. Next in line is Shell gas station. Usually Shell provides cheaper gas than the previous two companies, but their prices are still higher than gas stations like Thrifty or Costco. The price of gas also depends on how competitive a gas station owner is willing to be. If they get around the same amount of customers as the gas station nearest them, chances are they will not feel the pressure to lower their prices. Their prices might vary by a cent or two. However, if a gas station owner is seeing a lower volume of sales he might lower is prices to stay competitive and increase revenue.