TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pasco News

West Pasco Gasoline Price Sinks Below $2

ADVERTISEMENT

By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: November 15, 2008

PORT RICHEY - Not many months ago, West Pasco motorists were paying around $4 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. As of Thursday morning, the price had plummeted as low as $1.99 at one New Port Richey-area gas station.

By today, Saturday, the price of regular-grade gasoline might finally dip below the magical $2 barrier at many area retailers.

The owners of diesel vehicles are still shelling out about $1 more per gallon. But even $3.05 a gallon is considerably lower than peak prices which had been marching up and up toward $5 at one time.

Usually West Pasco enjoys some of the lowest gasoline prices in the state, but this week a gallon cost even less in other parts of the state. For example, some stations in Pensacola, in the Florida Panhandle, had been advertising $1.87 a gallon midweek.

Nationwide, Tulsa, Okla., claims the lowest prices, at $1.77.

One person enjoying the retreat in gasoline prices is Dave Neal, the founder of the Red Apple School. During the gasoline-price peak over the summer the nonprofit school in New Port Richey was paying around $7,200 a month for vehicle fuel.

Red Apple racks up in the neighborhood of a million miles a year on its fleet of a dozen vans, Neal said. The Red Apple Adult Training Center has 105 developmentally challenged adult students.

Its vans crisscross both sides of Pasco County and travel into parts of Pinellas County. The vans, which can ferry as many as 14 students apiece, average 8 to 9 miles per gallon, Neal lamented. At the same time, the state cut funding three times this year for agencies such as Red Apple.

So it almost seems Christmas came a little early this year as gasoline prices continue their historic drop. "We are enjoying the savings," Neal said in understatement with his characteristic chuckle.

AAA Auto Club South reported gasoline average prices fell as much as 70 cents in a single week ending Nov. 9.

"Once again, the federal government has reported supply and demand numbers favorable to consumers; gasoline supply is up and consumer demand is weak," Gregg Laskoski, managing director of public relations for AAA Auto Club South, said in a press release.

In recent months crude oil prices have retreated to the $60-a-barrel range after peaking July 11 at an all-time high of $147 a barrel. Many economists and petroleum industry analysts say the worldwide economic slowdown and the strengthening of the U.S. dollar are two of the main factors contributing the 60 percent drop in crude prices since the mid-summer peak.

AAA Auto Club South maintains its Daily Fuel Gauge Report at www.fuelgaugereport.com. The report is based on credit card transactions over the past 24 hours at more than 65,000 stations nationwide.

The Suncoast News each day posts online some of the prices spotted at area stations at http://suncoastpasco.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/14/lowest-west-pasco-gas-prices/.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT