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Increasing Gasoline Prices Make Prediction More Difficult

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

Aug. 17--Surging gasoline prices have left Oklahoma consumers searching for the lowest-cost fuel.

But the rapidly changing prices have all but done away with an old trick for saving on fuel costs, AAA Oklahoma spokesman Chuck Mai said.

"Up until the middle part of July, it seemed like if prices were going to rise, they generally went up on Tuesday or Wednesday," Mai said. "So under that logic, it would be best to fill up on Monday. But now the market is running rampant. It's hard to make any sense out of what the market is doing lately."

The price is now changing so rapidly that a jump of up to 10 cents overnight is possible almost any day.

The statewide average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has climbed 29 cents in two weeks to $2.42 Tuesday. At the same time, the nationwide average is up 24 cents to $2.52. The average price in Oklahoma City is up nearly 33 cents to $2.43, while Tulsans are paying $2.41, up 30 cents in two weeks.

To help save as much as possible, Mai recommends consumers check the AAA Web site www.aaa.com/gasprices, www.oklahomacitygasprices.com or other similar sites that identify prices by station location.

"Check with friends and neighbors and co-workers and find out where the cheapest gas is," he said. "But choose those stations that are along your way. Don't be driving too far out of your way to frequent them."

Lower prices tend to cluster as competition increases between gasoline stations in certain parts of the city. But Bruce Bell, chairman of the Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association of Oklahoma, agreed it would not benefit consumers to drive too far out of their way for less expensive gasoline.

"If you live in the north part of town, it certainly isn't going to be cheaper to drive to the south to fill up and go back north again," Bell said. "It would be false reasoning to think that would help you save money."

Other ways to save money are to regularly check vehicles' tire pressure and air filters. Also, turning off the air conditioner can save about 10 percent fuel efficiency.

"If you're driving on the highway, open windows destroy the aerodynamics and create sufficient drag to actually use more fuel than you save by turning off the air conditioner," Mai said. "But on city streets, you can save significant gas mileage by only using the air conditioner on days when you really need it."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Daily Oklahoman

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Source: The Daily Oklahoman

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