When can we go to the days of $0.75 per a gallon of gas?
Those days are gone. It costs more than that for refinery companies to produce a gallon of gas nowadays. Prices like that might come back if someone figures out how to use a different kind and better fuel for cars and regular gas will no longer be in demand, but those days won't last long if no one is producing it anymore at that price.
Alternative fuel at $3 per gallon: use it?
What people are looking at are fuels that have not been in process. look at the country of Brazil. All the cars run on fuel that they grow!!!! Now that is what we need. The oil producers are the ones not giving us the right information. or giving us misdirection. What if we could grow our own fuel at not have us at the mercies of the Arab governments? Or even look at hydrogen powered cars??? Technology is suppose to grow leaps and bounds every two years , and we are still are using the same basic engines from 1960's???? or should we look at how fat we are. Not physical but as a country. We can have anything we want. from ice cream to bombs. we can loose dependency on foreign oil. Lets open our eyes to new options.
What is the cheapest gas price that you can ever recall seeing?
In my reply to this question I am really taking “a trip down memory lane”. My previous answer on Quora evoked my memories of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and this answer evokes other memories from that same time in the early 1960s, when I was a small boy.In those days my father and uncle ran a small family road haulage business and also had a petrol station in our village in the Nottinghamshire countryside here in the U.K. The petrol station had been set up by my uncle a few years previously. We were selling Cleveland petrol; Cleveland was originally a British brand but had been taken over by Esso in 1938, though the name Cleveland continued until the early 1970s. The two types of Cleveland petrol we sold were the cheaper Cleveland Guaranteed and the slightly more expensive Cleveland Discol. The upper picture below shows what our petrol station looked like, with old “clock face” type pumps like this, but the second pump was of course topped by the Cleveland Discol sign (instead of the Esso sign in the lower picture below).As far as I can recall, back in those pre-currency decimalisation days of the early 1960s we sold Cleveland Guaranteed at 4s 2d per gallon, and Cleveland Discol at one penny more, at 4s 3d per gallon. In decimalisation money, this means that Cleveland Guaranteed sold at a little less than 21p per gallon, and Cleveland Discol at a little over 21p per gallon.Also in those days I recall how our customers would serve themselves petrol whenever the petrol station was unattended, as it often was, because we trusted them to be honest and pay us the correct amount whenever we did see them. We were never worried about “bilking” in those days ! However I do recall that on one occasion my aunt told us how one customer called across to her when she was at home that he had just filled up with 8 gallons of “cheap” petrol (which is what we called Cleveland Guaranteed) whereas she was sure that he had filled up with 8 gallons of “best” petrol (which is what we called Cleveland Discol).Another little detail from my memory of the petrol station in those days is that on the concrete apron on which the petrol pumps stood we had a can of Redex (exactly like the one pictured above), and a shot of Redex in your tank when you filled up was supposed to keep the fuel and its line to your engine clean. I also recall how each pump had a sticker on the front with the caption “Switch Off Engine. No Smoking. Ask for Redex by Name.”
TV ads say Chevy Volt owners rarely buy gas, but don't say how much their power bill has gone up.?
The average electric rate in the USA is 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. * A full charge of the Volt's battery takes about 12 kilowatt-hours. Somebody who drove the car 40 miles per day, every day, would therefore use 11 times 12 cents of electricity every day, which is $1.32. That would add about $40 to your monthly electric bill. * Let's compare that to a 25 MPG car. With gasoline at $3.80/gal, 40 miles per day would use 1.6 gallons at a cost of $6.08. This makes the monthly gasoline bill $182 * So the Volt saves $142 per month ($182 minus $40.)
What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to save money?
Inefficiency and the inability to isolate the biggest and most draining expenses or the desire to keep these draining expenses is probably the biggest mistake that people trying to save often do. They are stuck penny pinching while ignoring things that can really make a difference. For example, they end up using gallon of gas (let’s say $3 a gallon) just to fill up their car for 5 cents per gallon less. End result? They saved $0.75-$1.00 but spent $3 for that “saving”. They also ignore the things that they like (habits and bad habits)…smoking can drain $3000+ a year for a pack a day smoker…drinking can drain the same depending on where you drink and how much you drink…eating out can drain you many, many thousands if do it regularly (think about it…$5 a meal X 3 meals a day X 365 days…that right there is $5500 for the cheapest food out there)…a concert or a ball game can run you a lot too…same with movies and theater…coffee @ $5 a pop a couple times a day can run you into the thousands…there are so many places to cut spending and start saving, but people either identify the wrong things (like focusing on pennies that leaving a light on would incur vs. 100’s to 1000’s of watts that are consumed by AC, leaving computers or TV’s on…
BJs, Costco sell gas at a rate little less than other gas stations. How do they manage to keep the prices lower?
So far, the answers have bben less than complete.There have been mentions of the Annual membership fees, and being a sub standard or TIER 2 type gasoline.Out of a typical 35,000 Litre Delivery of gasoline (10,000 gallons) approximately how much is the price Based on current market rates for Crude Oil:Considering that US Gasoline prices can vary from being below $2.07 per gallon in Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area, to greater than $3.45 in the greater LA or Sacramento Areas.Most regions work on the margin principle, where whatever the price is that they can get from a supplier, then they add a fixed percentage increase to the price.So, if the delivered price is 3.30 at the wholesale level, at a 5% margin, then the retailer adds 16.5 cents to the price. Rounding up to the next 0.009 dollar value.So, the pump price will be $3.479 per gallon.But suppose , since Costco / BJs and any other warehouse club, only increases the price by 14 cents per gallon. They make enough money to keep the business going, and they do not need to advertise their gas.Advertising costs money.So, they do not expend the money on fuel priciing advertisiing. Instead their price winds up being 2.5 cents less than the neighbor.What happens, then peole line up for miles aaround, becaause they ‘have a sale’ on their gasoline.So, on 10,000 gallons the margin is 1400 per shift. This compares to the other retailer who owns the other station and receives 1600 to 1800 per delivery.It includes every soft tax, and whaatever is needed to keep the station running.Typically, this pays the wage of 1 attendant, plus the heat /AC lights and incidentals along with the property tax. The state takes anywhere from a high of $0.75 of total taxes for Pennsylvania, to $0.35 per gallon for South Carolina.So, depending on the location, then the volume of gasoline, would be a tanker load every other day, to every day.The Costcos and other discount brands only need to reduce their margin by 100 to 200 dollars per delivery.They do not need to buy inferior or lesser than top tier additives per load of fuel.Just keep the tape dispensers full, the starting and ending amount of fuel in the storge tank(s). the cash straight, etc.These jobs are all part of the gasoline retailer in America.Can a retailer make a lot of money, no, not too much since it is a very competitive environement.
How can gas stations raise the price per liter 10 cents or more overnight for no apparent reason, is this illegal?
Typically gas stations have a 2–3 day supply of fuel.But when they get a refill, it ususally is a full trailer load. (20,000 Litres or so).So, if the price yesterday at the terminal is 1.00, but then today the price goes up 9 cents , what is a retailer to do? Go broke on a delivery that lasts two days?So, the refinery can charge the retailer what ever they want. We never know the price.The question is what is the next nearest station, and what is their price?Has it also gone up 10 cents in 2 days, or has it stayed the same?If it stayed the same, then you know where to shop at. (the one with the cheaper price).But as long as there is no “price fixing” between the retailers, then no, there is no law that prohibits the “reasonable return” on the price of fuels.If the retailer knows they will not be getting another delivery for 4 or 5 days, they then can make the delivery last by maximizing profits for the end of the month.It may make the difference for this month, between breaking even, and perhaps having a good holiday for the employees at this particular outlet. (although it should not be just at this season).However, there has been an up-tick in fuel prices over the last few days.(I dont know what part of the world you are in)This chart from GasBuddy shows the price going up over the last few days, but the actual trend has been down,Here is another chart for people in Houston TX.Historical Gas Price ChartsIn mid October, the Crude Oil price was $72 US per barrel. Now it is $42.00this is almost half the input cost to the refiner.Has your retail price gone down to $0.75?Ask your MP, and MPP(senator or representative) that question.
My son and daughter in law are moving to Houston. Can someone please tell me about the city?
I am excited and anxious to find out what all about Houston! I would love to hear from some people who actually live there, and also people who have visited. Thank you so much. :)
Is $100 a lot to an American?
As people have pointed out, it varies hugely depending on where you live in the US. Remember, America is a large place - we could fit 2.5 or 3 Indias inside our country (though we have a third the population). I wanted, however, to put some real numbers down for comparison.I live in an upscale apartment complex on the north side of Austin, Texas. It is pricey for the area, but by far cheaper than living in downtown. My rent is $1,650/mo. To live downtown, I would expect to pay $2,500/mo for the same space. Alternately, I could move ten miles north, and get a comparable apartment for $900/mo.My electric, water, gas, and garbage bill varies - in the summer, I pay nearly $200/mo, and in the winter, it's closer to $100. Remember, this is Texas, and 110dg F days aren't uncommon here.Gasoline (petrol) costs between $3.50 and $4 per gallon, depending on the week and which octane rating you get. My car (a BMW 335i) requires 91 octane or better, which means filling my 14 gallon tank often costs me $65. I fill my tank twice per month. Groceries vary, but seafood is expensive here. Austin is 200 miles (320km) from the closest port, and there's not a lot of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. The water tends to be too warm and polluted.Average prices I can think of:Chicken (whole): $1.50/lb ($3.30kg)Rice (long white): $0.75/lb ($1.65/kg)Apples: $1.40/lb ($3.04/kg)Cod (a common white fish): $11/lb ($24.20/kg)Eggs (1gz): $2.52 (12.5 rupees each)2L Coca-Cola: $1.99Other random things:Movie Ticket: $11Draft Beer: $5 (average, range from $4-6 generally)Cocktail: $8Average entree (main dish) price: $148oz Filet from upscale steakhouse (Fleming's): $65Can of Soda (12oz, from vending machine): $0.75Admission to live show (band, small venue): $5Concert ticket (national act, large venue): $60 ($45-185)Cab ride from airport to convention center: $22Bus and Rail pass, monthly: $77Most electronics are at the national average (that is, a big screen television from Best Buy won't cost you any more here than it does in New York City).Hope that helps!