Comment on this morning’s prediction: Here is Grand Rapids, prices jumped to $3.69 today, so I hope you filled up. CORRECT!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 6:00PM: OK, things are bizarre today. After the weekly energy report from the Feds, gasoline future prices plunged in Chicago, dropping 13 cents a gallon according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, here in Grand Rapids, prices were soaring to $3.69 a gallon. Driving home from work this evening, the Citgo in Standale is at $3.59 and the Speedway on Lake Michigan Drive is $3.41 (and packed with cars), where it was this morning. I keep an eye on Fort Wayne prices (that’s my hometown), and it looks like there was no hike there at all, so prices are still $3.38. Is this turning into a failed price hike? If I was Speedway, I’d put in a system-wide reset to $3.55 tomorrow and move on. -Ed A.
I noticed that when I get gas at Speedway between price hikes (especially if I use my pay card), it takes several business days to show up on my account. Yet, if I get gas the night before a price hike or the day of at a holdout station, the money is taken out of my account almost immediately (credit or debit).
I filled my dad’s tank Monday night at Lake Lansing/Wood in Lansing, and then topped off early Wednesday morning at Lake Lansing/Abbot in East Lansing. The $4.95 charge from Lake Lansing/Abbot was taken out before the $41.45 from Lake Lansing/Wood, and both were pay card transactions.
Here in Fort Wayne, the cheaper stations usually have regular priced about 20¢ less than the price of 18 wheeler diesel at Fort Meyer Pilot. This morning, Regular Unleaded is now priced 10¢ more than that diesel. It is getting real ugly out there, gas price wise.
Funny and wonderful: Here in Fort Wayne, a few stations tried to go up to the $3.69, but have not been able to pull it off. The low in town is $3.37 all the way out to the Leo, Indiana burb. We are basking in it, enjoying it, and keeping our tanks topped off. Personally, 100 miles is about 5 gallons, and that is when I will top off a tank (if prices are at a low). We all know this $3.37 could end at any moment and all stations could be $3.69 in a moment.