Why are our gas prices in Washington now higher than Greenville?

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Why are our gas prices in Washington now higher than Greenville?

Published: Sunday, August 27th, 2023 @ 6:22 pm
By: John Steed ( More Entries )

For years, Greenville has been the capital of high gas prices in eastern North Carolina, with Washington usually with some of the lowest prices. Things have changed.

Today, in driving to the gun show in Greenville, and taking care of some other business while there, I bought gas at Duck Thru fof $3.36 a gallon, but on getting back to Washington, I saw that Duck Thru here was charging $3.44 a gallon. Duck Thru is one of the gas stations that follows the lead of others up or down, so it is a good comparison. Driving around in Greenville, I saw some others at $3.36, a $3.38, and quite a few $3.40s and $3.41s. I saw one as low as $3.34. Of course there were some, like the usual suspect, Speedway, in the $3.50s.

Here in Washington, the lowest price was the 76 station across from the new city police building, which was at $3.42. Most were at $3.44, including the local station most noted for reducing gas prices, Murphy Express, with some at $3.49 and some still over $3.50.

What is up that our local gas prices are now some of the highest around?

I noted the same thing on a trip to the Outer Banks a few weeks ago. Beach gas prices are usually also on the high side, but this summer gas was cheaper on the Outer Banks than in Washington. We bought gas at Duck Thru in Nags Head on the way back home, and noted that Duck Thru in Washington when we reached home a couple of hours later was several cents higher than in Nags Head.

We should keep in mind that Speedway is the brand that locally has been aggressively pushing higher gas prices.

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Concerned Taxpayer said:

( August 29th, 2023 @ 1:28 pm )

Gas prices - No one else seems to have joined Speedway's big increase this time. In fact, one station reduced its price in response. The 76 convenience store on Bridge Street lowered its price by 3 cents from $3.42 to $3.39 after Speedway upped its price from $3.45 to $3.59. So that 76 station is now the cheapest in town and 20 cents a gallon lower than Speedway.

John Steed said:

( August 28th, 2023 @ 3:40 pm )

The usual suspect in gas price gouging, Speedway, has jacked their price up again this afternoon to $3.59, about 15 cents increase from where they were. No one else seems to have followed yet, so it is a good time to fill up. Murphy's Express is at $3.43, and the 76 Station on Bridge Street at $3.42. Duck Thru is at $3.44, but if you have their discount card, that makes it $3.39, as of right now the best price in town, and 20 cents a gallon less than Speedway.

John Steed said:

( August 28th, 2023 @ 8:07 am )

Countrygirl, it seems most gas stations operate like you indicate, by following what others are doing, either up or down. Duck Thru, which bought out Makin' Tracks some time back, seems to be one of those, which is why its prices can vary dramatically from one town to another.

It is the price leaders we have to watch, the ones that initiate the increases and decreases in gas price. Locally for the past few years that has been Speedway raising prices, often by 10 or 20 cents at a whack, and Murphy Express which leads the decreases, usually a few cents at a time. Lately,the new 76 statiton acress from the new Washington police building on Bridge Street has undercut even Murphy on the downside.

It looks like Greenville must have gotten eiether some new players or some existing players who want to shake things up on gas prices. Good for them. We need that again in Washington.

Countrygirl1411 said:

( August 28th, 2023 @ 6:04 am )

A few decades ago when I worked at a local convenience store the manager had to check all the gas station prices in the local area and report it to corporate daily. After that report we either were told nothing, gas prices remained the same or told to raise or lower the price to match what other stations were charging. It had nothing to do with the price the company was paying for gas, it was all about matching what others were charging. Are they still doing that, I no idea but from what I see it sure does look like it.
Sure to miss the gas wars of many more decades ago where they would fight to have to lowest price.

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