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Fill 'er up
Motorists willing to drive out of way to save on gas
Robert C. Reed
Area motorist pack into Murphy Express on U.S. 321 in Granite Falls to buy gas at 3.44 per gallon Monday morning.
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Published: August 5, 2008
HICKORY - Jill Thompson waited in line 20 minutes to fill up her Ford Explorer with gas on Monday.
Although it takes longer to get to Murphy Express gas station on U.S. 321 in Granite Falls, it's worth it for her to drive there from Conover. The gas there was only $3.44 a gallon Monday.
From the looks of the line of cars in front and behind her, she's not the only one willing to make the trek to the gas station. Dozens were willing to drive a few miles out of their way to save a few pennies on gas.
"I come this way every two weeks to make my car payment, which is just three miles down the road," she said. "Why not just drive another three miles, and fill up here? I've been waiting a while, but it's worth it."
Over the past two weeks, residents have watched gas prices drop an average of 30 cents, and experts are expecting prices to continue to fall for at least another two weeks.
Gas hit its peak at an average of $4.04 a gallon for regular unleaded gas statewide on July 17, said Carol Gifford, public relations manager with AAA Carolinas. That price was a ripple effect from crude oil selling at a record $147 a barrel on July 11.
Since then, gas has dropped a penny at a time, to reach its current price. North Carolina's statewide average is $3.83, Gifford said. That's 21 cents below the national average of $4.04.
In Catawba County, gas prices vary from $3.67 to $3.80. However, the real deal on gas, as Thompson and others have learned, is on U.S. 321 north, between Hickory and Hudson. Most of the gas stations that line the road don't sell regular unleaded gas for more than $3.70 a gallon, and several stations have gas under $3.60. Murphy Express, at the Shoppes at River Crest, is currently selling gas for $3.44 a gallon.
Thompson said she found out about the cheap gas from a friend. It usually costs her about $60 to fill her Explorer, and she was willing to shave off some of that by waiting a few minutes for her turn at the pump.
Dennis Black is a courier from Charlotte. He drives to Hickory frequently, and has to fill up the 35-gallon gas tank on his van three times a week.
"I usually have to pay about $100 to fill up. I'm a courier, so every penny counts," Black said. "With these prices, I can save a little bit."
So what, exactly, is causing crude oil prices to fall to the current price of $124 a barrel to make gas less expensive?
"It's supply and demand," Gifford said. "The demand has been dropping in the U.S. We've been changing our habits and conserving a little bit, and we need to continue to do it. We've been conserving our trips. Crude oil may not stay as high as it has been because we've been conserving. Some analysts say the speculation bubble has burst, based on concern that there is less demand."
Gifford said she wasn't sure if continually lowering gas prices will be enough to start to turn the economy around. She said it goes back to supply and demand again.
"For people to start driving more, for the demand to increase, the price will have to drop a lot more," Gifford said.
Prices are still about $1 more than they were at this time last year. However, she said she expects prices to continue to drop throughout the rest of summer.
"The demand has really slowed, and different analysts are projecting that oil will fall in the international market," Gifford said.
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