Gas prices skyrocket across Puget Sound
Feb 27, 2012, 2:06 PM | Updated: 5:22 pm
It’s not your imagination – it’s costing you a lot
more to fill up in the last week.
“We’ve actually seen a spike in the last week of 22 cents
here in the state of Washington,” says Jennifer Cook, AAA
Washington spokesperson.
A recent fire at the BP refinery in Ferndale is a big
reason for the sudden spike, but Cook says prices always
go up this time of year.
“This is the time of year we typically see gas prices rise 5 and 15 cents a gallon due to their spring cleaning as they switch from winter fuel blends to spring and summer blends and they also do their maintenance.”
Cook predicts prices will remain higher for the foreseeable future.
As of Monday afternoon the average pump price was $3.86
statewide for regular unleaded, but about 10 cents a
gallon higher in the Seattle area. The numbers are skewed because Spokane-area gas stations get their oil from a refinery in Montana, which sells it for a much lower price.
Prices vary significantly even across the Puget Sound area, with gas going for as low as $3.71 at a Sam’s Club in Auburn to a reported high of $4.15 for a gallon of regular at a South Seattle Gull station.
Individual gas stations aren’t to blame. Prices are often set by wholesalers and oil companies and local dealers have little choice and flexibility. Many make barely
any profit on gas sales at all, according to Cook.
So what can drivers do? Besides online comparison
shopping, a little basic maintenance can end up saving
big.
“Tires are actually one of the biggest keys to fuel
efficiency,” Cook says. “For every pound of pressure your tire is low, you use 2 percent of your fuel efficiency. That doesn’t sound like a lot but by the time you’re 5 pounds low you’re losing 10 percent of your
fuel economy.”
