The mid-summer gas crisis is over

There, it’s on the internet, so it must be true.

Srsly – besides the obvious news pundits, economic indicators, oil futures, and Middle east politics… Beyond the local gas price surveys, and the raft of traditional discount gas stations in the mid to low 4.0x’s. Beyond the breaking of the weather from miserably hot with too much air conditioning, to miserably humid and rainy – it’s not just that running your wipers uses less energy.

No, it’s finally noticing that the Shield Mini Mart in Summvile just inbound of Ball Sq is now listing regular for $3.95/gallon. Of course their “3″ is half-broken, so it ruins the symmetry of the sign a tad, but as a discount station I’ll forgive them.

But $3.95 is a real indicator – unlike the numerous $3.99 places we’ve seen on and off the past two weeks. Pricing at $3.99 is just playing the psychology of 3 versus 4; of an at-first-glance 25% savings from your $4.05 or $4.13 competitor down the street. Pricing at $3.97 – which I saw last week – could be used by a desperate discount place to compete against the lucky name brand gas that could dip to $3.99 for a few days due to a good contract. But pricing at $3.95? That’s a clear shot across the bows of high prices, a definite signal that the peak has passed! Yay! Good times ahead! Make those vacation plans, and book your hotels now! Enjoy!

3 Responses to “The mid-summer gas crisis is over”


  • was down in brockton over the weekend. gas def a lot cheaper.

    not quite jew jersey cheap, but a lot less than boston

  • I have been missing the short drops this summer. Seems that every time I fill up on my way home, it is at least 5 cents less the next morning.

    Tonight I hit the jackpot! It has been 3.95 for a few days (after a long haul of 4+ then that teasing 3.99 deal) and tonight I needed gas no matter what the price.

    $3.85!! Jackpot!

    Somehow I don’t think it worth the drive to NC for you though :)

    -Susan

  • Nice. I don’t pay that much attention; I tend to go to the cheapest of the half-dozen that are already on my way home. But I did see 3.91 and 3.86! today in some other travels.

    I’m sure it’s been done: isn’t there a chart of average regional gas prices over time? In particular, one that attempts to explain various rises, with little OPEC or natural disaster or US holiday schedule bumps. And then the whole theories around how the price goes up due to external factors or disasters, it plateaus, and then the crisis is over and the price drops. But not back to the original level, of course.

    Sigh.

Leave a Reply