The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Hess

Merry Christmas, Florida: $2 gas is coming

By

Georgia and Tennessee have gas stations where prices have fallen below $2 a gallon. And it looks like Florida might not be far behind.

Stations in the Jacksonville area reported prices of $2.10 over the weekend, according to AAA. And if prices keep falling at the current rate of 2 cents a day, that area will be at $2 a gallon by the end of the week.

“Gasoline prices are plunging with little sign of slowing down,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. “Oil prices dropped for the fourth consecutive week because of increased oil production and low demand, and that’s keeping downward pressure on the price of gasoline. It is unclear exactly how low prices will go, but gasoline will keep getting cheaper as long as oil does.”

More than 89 million Americans are taking to the road this week, and when they do it, they will find the cheapest gasoline since May 2009, and the lowest Christmas prices since 2008, Jenkins said. On average, Americans are saving $13 for a tank of gas compared to this time last year, and if prices were to remain at these levels, households would save $550 next year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

“Plunging pump prices have boosted disposable income by more than 3.5 percent, which encourages Americans to travel,” Jenkins said. “AAA expects the highest number of travelers during the year-end holidays on record, which dates back to 2001.”

Florida prices were at $2.48 per gallon on average, down 12 cents from last week, and 35 cents from a month ago. Gas was 88 cents more expensive a year ago.

Although nowhere local has gas as close to $2 as Jacksonville does, many service stations are well below the state average.

In Land O’ Lakes, both the RaceTrac and the Hess station on the State Road 52 area reported prices of $2.35, according to GasBuddy, while the Sunoco on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard, reported the highest prices at $2.53.

In Wesley Chapel, Sam’s Club reported the lowest prices in the entire area at $2.24 on State Road 56. Four other stations were at $2.39, but well above the reported number from the high-volume retail store.

Lutz had gas prices ranging from $2.37 at Metro Gas on State Road 54 near Foggy Ridge Parkway, to $2.49 at three stations, including two near Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills is at the Marathon station on Eland Boulevard and Geiger Road with a reported price of $2.34. In Dade City, it was the Clark station at the lowest, with $2.33 per gallon on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue. The Chevron station on Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue was the most expensive, according to the website, at $2.45.

Thanksgiving traveling like it’s 2009

By

It’s just five years ago, but 2009 is not too hard to remember. The Black Eyed Peas had a hit in “Boom Boom Pow.” At movie theaters, “Avatar” was breaking every record imaginable. And at the gas pump, drivers were paying less than $2.70 at the pump.

Hit songs and blockbuster movies from five years ago will likely stay there, but cheap gas? It’s back, as the national average for a galling of regular unleaded gas was $2.82 heading into the busy Thanksgiving week.

“Travelers are thankful to have more money  in their pockets due to falling gas prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “The good news is gas should continue falling through the rest of the year. Cheaper gasoline has helped boost disposable income and consumer spending, which encourages more people to travel.”

The state average in Florida Sunday matched the national average at $2.82, down 6 cents from a week ago, and off 64 cents a gallon from the $3.46 prices the state saw just over Thanksgiving weekend a year ago. State prices also are down 27 cents from a month ago.

The best prices in Land O’ Lakes over the weekend were found as usual at two stations on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 52 — Both the RaceTrac and Hess station there reported $2.65 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive gas, on the other hand, was $2.83 reported at the Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards.

Lutz drivers also found $2.65 gas at the Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads. The most expensive in that area was $2.89 at the Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke.

Six different gas stations in Wesley Chapel advertised prices of $2.69 over the weekend, competing for the cheapest gas there, while the most expensive was reported to be $2.79 at the Shell station on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near State Road 56, as well as the BP station on Willow Oaks Drive and State Road 56.

In Zephyrhills, gas prices ranged from $2.69 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as the Murphy USA on Gall Boulevard, to $2.76 at the Sunoco on County Road 54 and Wire Road. Dade City’s cheapest gas was $2.63 at both the Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, and D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301.

 

Like falling fuel prices? Thank shale

By

Oil production in the United States is at its highest level since the release of the first “Back to the Future” movie in 1985, and a lot of that has to do with the new shale boom.

Crude oil settled at $82.75 on Friday after dropping below $80 for the first time in two years just the day before, as gas prices continue to drop both locally and nationwide.

“Motorists are paying $5 to $15 less to fill their tanks than they were around July 4,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “This is extra money that consumers can use for the holidays, either to put presents under the tree, or dinner on the table.”

Prices in Florida dropped 9 cents in the past week to $3.15. It followed a drop of a dime nationally, creating the lowest average since February 2011. At the statewide level, gas is still not at $3 in Florida, but that’s not true in other southern states, like Tennessee, where gas averaged $2.89 — down 11 cents from the week before.

Gas in Florida is down 14 cents from a month ago, and 18 cents from a year ago.

“Gas prices should continue to fall through the end of the year,” Carrasco said. “$3 a gallon and cheaper should become a common sight for motorists. The state averages of Florida and Georgia could be at or even below the $3 a gallon mark as early as Thanksgiving.”

Gas in Land O’ Lakes was at $3.07 at four different stations on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com, including Citgo at State Road 52 and U.S. 41, the Hess in the same location, the Marathon station at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff, and the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard.

In Lutz, the best prices were mostly the same with $3.07 at Chevron and the Sunoco both at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway. The most expensive was $3.19 at two Shell stations.

Seven stations in Wesley Chapel are below $3, with five as low as $2.95. That includes two Marathon stations, a Hess, a Mobil and a Shell. The highest prices in that area were really not above $3.09.

Gas was a little more expensive in Zephyrhills with $3.05 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as Murphy USA at Gall Boulevard near Ginger Avenue. The cheapest in Dade City was reported at Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, where gas was $2.95. The most expensive there was $3.12 at the Shell located at Cortez Boulevard and U.S. 301.

It’s here! $3 gas arrives in Wesley Chapel

By

It’s been years since Florida has seen its average gas prices drop below the $3 mark. And while the state average is not there quite yet, two gas stations in Wesley Chapel was selling gas at $2.99 this past weekend.

The Hess station at State Road 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel is one of the first stations locally in years to have gas under $3. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
The Hess station at State Road 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Wesley Chapel is one of the first stations locally in years to have gas under $3. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Those gas stations — the Hess at State Road 54 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and the cash buyers at Citgo at State Road 54 and Boyette Road — were the lowest in the area, and below the $3 mark for the first time, according to GasBuddy.

And that might be just the beginning.

“Gas prices declined dramatically last week, and more discounts are on the way,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “It will soon be increasingly common for motorists to find gasoline cheaper than $3 a gallon. Demand is low and domestic oil supplies are high, putting downward pressure on the price of both oil and gasoline. State averages in Florida and Georgia could be flirting with the $3 mark by Thanksgiving.”

Right now, Florida’s average gas price is $3.24, down 7 cents from a week ago, and down a dime from a month ago. However, it’s down just a nickel from a year ago.

Gas nationally is $3.21, down 9 cents from a week ago, and 20 cents lower than a month ago.

Tennessee, by the way, already is at $3 on average. That’s down 9 cents from the week before, and 20 cents from the month before.

Gas prices in Land O’ Lakes on Sunday ranged from $3.17 at three different gas stations, to $3.21 at the Shell located at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Hale Road, according to GasBuddy.

It was a similar story in Lutz, where gas prices were found as low as $3.15 at both the Circle K at Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, as well as the Citgo at North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. The highest prices there on Sunday were reported at $3.29 at the Shell located at Van Dyke and Lakeshore Drive.

To join the $2.99 prices in Wesley Chapel, there were still some highs, including a price of $3.19 at three different stations.

Murphy USA had the cheapest gas in Zephyrhills over the weekend at $3.14 on Gall Boulevard near Ginger Avenue, while the Citgo at Gall and Chancey Road had the highest reported price at $3.25.

In Dade City, prices ranged from $3.15 at two locations, to $3.22 at two other stations.

Refinery problems freeze gas prices

By

The dream of gas under $3 may have to wait a little longer, at least in Florida.

Refinery outages in both Canada and Texas put a halt to the summer-long decline in gas prices, and even went as far as pushing prices up in some places, like Pensacola.

“Refinery maintenance, especially in the Gulf, is causing the tightening of supplies in some areas,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “As a result of these refinery issues, the downward pressure eon gas prices motorists saw earlier this month has stopped.”

Several companies in the Gulf region — home to more than 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity, announced an unplanned maintenance, AAA said, which reduced gasoline output in this areas. Those outages occurred the same time as other refineries in the region are conducting seasonal maintenance.

Oil prices also are rising again, with West Texas intermediate crude rising $1.13 to $93.54 a barrel on Friday.

“Overall, motorists are still seeing value at the pump,” Carrasco said. “Gas prices are at a seven-month low, and we expect gasoline to continue trending downwards in the coming months.”

Prices in Florida held steady this week at $3.29, but was down 8 cents from a month ago, and 6 cents from a year ago.

The cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes was $3.16, and found at a few stations in the area, including the Hess on State Road 52 and U.S. 41, as well as the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, and another RaceTrac on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, near Lake Patience Road, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive gas reported to the site was $3.29 at the Shell station on the corner of State Road 54 and State Road 56.

In Wesley Chapel, prices ranged from $3.12 at Sam’s Club near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and $3.29 at a Shell station nearby. Lutz gas was as low as $3.16 at the Chevron and Sunoco at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, and as high as $3.39 at the Shell on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

Gas prices in Zephyrhills climbed a little bit to a low of $3.15 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as the Mobil on State Road 54 and Allen Road. The most expensive was reported at the Cumberland Farms on Gall Boulevard and State Road 39, where gas was $3.26.

The cheapest gas in Dade City was $3.13 at Clark, on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue. The most expensive there was said to be at Chevron on the corner of Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue, were prices came in at $3.24.

Gas prices still recovering from Labor Day weekend

By

Gas prices are still trying to come down after the expected bump during Labor Day weekend, but that hasn’t stopped gas prices from being the lowest still since 2010 as September gets under way.

And prices could get better, especially with federal employment levels lower than expected.

“Demand typically eases going into the fall, but a high jobless report causes speculation that demand for gasoline may be even lower,” said Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA-The Auto Club Group, in a release. “This report, combined with easing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and refineries beginning to switch from summer to winter blend fuels, all continue to place downward pressure on what is already unseasonably low gas prices.”

That trend, as Jenkins has shared before, could mean gas cheaper than $3 a gallon before the end of the year.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported last week that 142,000 new jobs were created in August, lowering the national unemployment rate slightly to 6.1 percent. While that is a positive growth in jobs, it was lower than analysts had expected.

Oil prices took a hit this past week as well, with a barrel of oil selling for $93.29 on Friday, a drop of $2.67 from the previous week. That is a seven-month low for crude.

The average gallon of gas in Florida was $3.36 on Sunday, down a penny from $3.37 a week ago, and 3 cents from a month ago. It’s 19 cents lower than what it was a year ago, however, AAA reported.

“Some markets are seeing more expensive gasoline compared to last week,” Jenkins said. “Much of that has to do with demand jumping during the Labor Day weekend, causing lower supplies and higher prices. It is possible that prices could inch up toward the middle of the month as refineries prepare to switch to the cheaper-to-produce winter blend gasoline on Sept. 15, but prices usually fall through the remainder of the year.”

The cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes on Sunday night was $3.19 at the Mobil station on State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway, according to GasBuddy. The Shell station at State Road 54 and State Road 56 was listed as the most expensive at $3.37.

Wesley Chapel had some cheaper gas, found once again at Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, where prices were reported at $3.17. Four locations — including a Shell station, 7-Eleven, Hess and Mobil — had gas prices at $3.37.

In Lutz, prices ranged from $3.21 at the Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $3.39 at two Shell stations — one on Van Dyke near Lakeshore Drive, the other at North Dale Mabry Highway at Van Dyke.

Gas prices in Zephyrhills were found from $3.22 at a Mobil station on State Road 54 near Allen Road, to $3.34 at a Citgo on Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road. The cheapest gas in Dade City was $3.25 at three locations — Raceway, Marathon and Clark — while the most expensive, according to GasBuddy, was found at the Chevron station on Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue for $3.31.

 

World in chaos, but gas prices still dropping

By

Gas prices are inching closer and closer to a milestone it hasn’t reached in nearly four years: Sell of less than $3 per gallon.

The decline in the cost of a gallon go gas continued last week, with Florida’s average dropping another 2 cents to $3.35 on Sunday, according to a new report from AAA – The Auto Club Group. In fact, gas prices in some metropolitan markets in the south have actually fallen below $3.20, which some stations not far from Tampa International Airport actually dipping below $3.10 as well.

That drop has taken place despite the turmoil happening overseas, said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins.

“Motorists are reaping the benefits of booming domestic oil production, which has provided the cheapest gas prices for August in years,” he said, in a release. “The price of oil declined slightly last week, so gas prices could skip even more this week.”

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue, as well as some unrest in Libya. Yet, nothing overseas has disrupted oil distribution, Jenkins said. The price of a barrel of oil dropped 30 cents to $97.35, suggesting there is still more room for gas costs to drop.

Nationally, gas has averaged $3.46 a gallon, down  2 cents from a week ago. Florida gas is down 16 cents from a year ago, and 18 cents from just a month ago.

Gas prices in Land O’ Lakes on Sunday were reported as low as $3.15 at the Hess station on State Road 52 and U.S. 41, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive there was reported in the Shell station on State Road 54 and State Road 56, where prices checked in at $3.39 late Sunday night.

Prices were at $3.16 in some parts of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, including the Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, as well as the Kangaroo station at 14611 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The most expensive in that area, according to GasBuddy, was the Shell station at County Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard.

In Lutz, prices were anywhere from $3.18 like at both a Chevron and Sunoco station at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, and $3.39 at the Shell station at North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills was $3.28 at a Sunoco station at Gall Boulevard and Geiger Road, with the most expensive reported at Cumberland Farms at State Road 39 and U.S. 301, at $3.36.

Dade City was a lot better, at least for anyone willing to travel north toward Hernando County. The Shell station at Cortez Boulevard and U.S. 301 was selling gas at $3.19, according to GasBuddy, while the most costly was at a Citgo at Lock and 21st streets, where regular gas was selling for $3.49 Sunday.