I drive through five (5) counties every day in eastern North Carolina on my way to work; the price of gas usually varies about $.10 from one end to the other-- the amazing thing is that the "discount end" changes from day-to-day! One day it's ten cents cheaper on the southern end of my route, in Duplin County (I travel North-to-South on NC Hwy 903), the next day it's cheaper on the northern end of my route (in Pitt County). Ironically, I usually find the BEST price exactly half-way at a little country store (run by immigrants) in southern end of Greene County. The 24-hour Mart at the same county's seat (Snow Hill, NC) routinely charges at least $0.10 more! The little county store beats all competitors in my five-county-run by at least a nickel a gallon, and sometimes more. I used to be finicky about the brands I put in my tank, but since I've been keeping records, I can tell you that (1) changing the oil regularly, (2) keeping the tire pressure up, (3) running Lucas gas treatment (which is actually cheaper than MMO gallon-for gallon) is the best way to keep your mileage up and your wallet slim. I'm not afraid to gas up at a well-run station (immigrant or otherwise --my prejudice is showing
), if I can drop some MMO or Lucas into the tank.
My experience tells me that a great part of gasoline pricing has to do the decisions of the person actually selling the gasoline. As the "retail outlet" they can decide whether or not their gasoline is going to be a "loss-leader" or a "profit center." If you notice, most of the places you buy gasoline these days also sell snacks, food, and beer. Most of the time I stop at the 24-hour mart, they're selling more liquid fuel to the drivers than to the automobiles (mostly beer, some coffee).
The bottom line is that while the price may change from day-to-day, the long-term picture is that we will eventually run out of this non-renewable resource --what then? Today, we are consuming the energy stored since the time of the dinosaurs. If the oil is gone and pollution and higher temperatures remain, are we consuming ourselves? Is this how planets die?
Just a note: I find that both MMO and Lucas Fuel Treatment contribute to overall engine health. MMO can clean things out; but Lucas helps you realize the savings (and performance), but it seems a little tougher on the fuel system.
