But I'm lovin' the gas prices...

[Jeff]

$1.38 here today. Most surrounding areas at $1.70 but our little town seems to be having an old fashioned "gas war". Cool!

[Ian]

Ummm...are you sure this isn't just a little bit of an exaggeration? Gas prices in your area have dropped over 65%?

I'm quite certain.

Gas prices peaked around here at around $4.50 a gallon. I filled up for $1.79. That's a drop of around 61%.

In the interest of full disclosure, though, I did say I filled up for $35 from near empty. The $100+ previously was from empty/empty.

[Jeff G]

When this thread started we were at $3.00 a gallon and I was very excited to be at that. Today I filled up at $1.73/gal. Prices dropping by almost 60% from the $4+ highs this summer is awesome.

On another positive note, my gas & electric bill which came just last week was $173 (same month last year was $260). In the five years we've been in our house this was our cheapest.

[Jeff G]

When the economy started going down the tubes and the prices started coming down, the oil "companies" here admitted that they were over charging. That isn't the word I was looking for but the right one has left my brain for the time being. It was reported on the news. (Yes, I know that you can't always believe the news but I do think the oil companies, OPEC, whoever had a lot to do with the prices.)

Since the oil companies don't set the price per barrel I find this hard to believe. With the price per barrel almost doubling on the commodity markets the cost per gallon went up. When a price on a gallon of gas doubles the profit doubles even though the mark up remains constant. The main reason the oil companies saw such huge profits over the past two years is in part because of this. With the current low gas prices I'll be curious to see how the oil companies profits compare this quarter.

Don't get me wrong, as an average income family there is nothing worse than stuggling to keep gas in a vehicle at $4+ a gallon while continually hearing the oil companies reporting record profits.

[pixiesmimi]

You know what? Just forget I said anything. Obviously I didn't hear what I heard and was completely wrong because so many people here are so sure I didn't hear it. Sorry to have expressed my opinion.

I'm just glad the prices are coming down so quickly and hope they stay there. We were down to $1.71 today. We haven't seen that since before we took at trip to WDW in 2006 and were worrying then about the price being $1.99 a gallon and whether or not we could afford to drive down there.

[PirateLover]

You know what? Just forget I said anything. Obviously I didn't hear what I heard and was completely wrong because so many people here are so sure I didn't hear it. Sorry to have expressed my opinion.

I'm really sorry that you took offense, but what you stated wasn't an opinion. You stated it as fact and we asked where you heard it, because if that happened, everyone should know about it.

About the prices, a lot of places around here started charging extra to pay with credit card. I think that is terrible. I don't really know anyone who carries cash anymore. I think that is a bit of price gauging. We are still in the $2 range in the city.

[pixiesmimi]

I'd be curious to see a link to that story, because I certainly never saw it or heard about it.

I don't have a link to it because I heard it on TV. I guess it must have been someone else's opinion because it wasn't splashed all over the news. I guess you are right, if that had been the case, the media would have picked up on it quickly. Sorry that I repeated it. Just thought it was interesting that it was reported and I'm of the same opinion myself.

Back to the topic.