Washington and other West Coast states have the highest gas prices in the nation – in some case 50 cents higher than the national average.

In the Spokane area, average prices remain below $4 a gallon, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Guage Report.

On the state’s west side, average prices for a gallon of regular gasoline are $4.25 in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett market, $4.26 in Tacoma and $4.34 in Bellingham, AAA reports.

Statewide the average is $4.21, up 13 cents since last week. Meanwhile, the national average price dropped 5 cents to $3.73.

“The West Coast is zigging while the rest of the country is zagging,” said Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service.

A shortage of gasoline tied to issues at the region’s refineries has caused prices to spike in the wholesale market, analysts said.

Vigorously defending his policies, President Barack Obama ridiculed critics of renewable energy sources Thursday, calling them naysayers and comparing them to the flat-earthers of yesteryear. Obama did not mention his detractors by name, merely referring to them as “professional politicians.” But his targets were clear. “A lot of the folks who are running for a certain office who shall go unnamed, they've been talking down new sources of energy,” Obama told a crowd of students at Prince George's Community College in Washington's Maryland suburbs. “They dismiss wind power. They dismiss solar power. They make jokes about biofuels. They were against raising fuel standards. I guess they like gas-guzzlers,” he said/CBS News. More here.

Question: Who do you blame for the current high gas prices?

The AAA auto club reports the average price of a gallon of gas in Washington is $3.98. That’s up 4 cents in a week and 46 cents in a month. It’s 18 cents higher than the national average.

Some metro prices from the AAA’s Monday survey: Bellingham $4.08, Bremerton $3.98, Seattle-Bellevue-Everett $4.05, Tacoma $4.02, Olympia $4.03, Vancouver $4.02, Yakima $3.83, Tri-Cities $3.76, and Spokane $3.67.

Gasoline prices have finally dropped after 27 days. The nationwide average for regular unleaded slipped less than a penny to $3.764 per gallon today. That ended a streak of price hikes that began on Feb. 8.

Pump prices rose by more than 28 cents per gallon in that period, making gasoline the most expensive ever for this time of year, the Associated Press reports.

Gasoline already tops $4 per gallon in California, Alaska and Hawaii. It’s near the $4 mark in several other states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon and parts of Washington.

Despite the one-day drop, experts predict that gasoline will continue to rise over the next several weeks. The Oil Price Information Service predicts the nationwide average could peak at $4.25 per gallon in late April.

AAA Idaho predicts an increase in Thanksgiving travel, but credit that to a longing to be with family, not gas prices. The travel agency expects 14 percent of the state's population — a 4.1 percent increase from a year ago - will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday. The prediction is “not because of any major improvements in the overall economic market, and obviously not with the help of gasoline prices, but because there is a pent-up demand among Americans to spend time with family,” said Dave Carlson, AAA spokesman/Brian Walker, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: Do you plan to travel far this Thanksgiving? Or is someone traveling far to visit you?

While gas prices in Idaho are considerably higher than they were a year ago, AAA Idaho says they're down from the level of a month ago, and nationwide, 4 percent more Americans are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. The auto owners group reports that today's average gas price in Idaho is $3.46 per gallon, 52 cents higher than a year ago, but 15 cents less than a month ago. The national average gas price is $3.34, down 12 cents from last month's average of $3.46.

AAA is also advising motorists to check road conditions before they head out for the holiday, either by dialing 511 or going to www.511.idaho.gov.

Average retail gasoline prices in Spokane rose 0.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.72 per gallon Sunday, according to gasoline price website SpokaneGasPrices.com.

This compares with the national average that increased 6.3 cents per gallon in the past week, to $3.63.

Prices locally are 77.6 cents per gallon higher than at this point a year ago, and are 11.4 cents per gallon lower than one month ago.

Motorists traveling around the Inland Northwest will be paying less for gasoline than they did even a month ago.

Prices are down by 20 to 50 cents per gallon since they peaked in late spring and over the Memorial Day holiday.

This week’s AAA survey shows the best deal on petrol is in southeast Idaho, where prices are at $3.39 per gallon in Pocatello and a dime higher in Idaho Falls.

The most expensive pump prices are in Ketchum/Hailey, where prices are at $3.87 per gallon.

In Washington state, AAA reports the average price for regular-grade fuel is $3.80 per gallon, down from $4 or more per gallon during the spring months.

Many pumps in Spokane were set at about $3.70 a gallon on Friday.

Prices in Boise were at $3.69, compared to $3.73 in Lewiston and $3.61 in Coeur d’Alene.

AAA Idaho Spokesman Dave Carlson says geographic isolation, wholesale suppliers and local retail competition influence pricing and disparities between cities.

Elsewhere, AAA reports the national average per-gallon price has dropped 44 cents since early May, compared to just a 13 cent decline in Idaho.

It's almost a certainty that someone reading today's print Slice, in which I refer to the start of long car-drive season, will politely note that I seem to have forgotten about  gas prices.

Not really. I just haven't noticed motorists abandoning their cars.

Sure, some people change their habits. A little. But most just complain.

www.prewarbuick.com 

Today's interesting business-related chart or graphic comes by way of the feds, and from DOE in specific.

It's the typical breakdown, based on U.S. averages, for what goes into the cost of a gallon of gas.

This was created in winter of 2010 and the average price of gas has soared since then, but the general percentages seem not to have changed too much. Notably, only about 71 percent of the cost of gas at the pump is for the cost of crude oil.

The adjustment for Idaho and Washington's portion of taxes shows this.

This chart was created when the U.S. price for regular averaged about $2.86.

Today it's averaging $3.808, according to AAA.  In Washington the regular price average on Wednesday is $3.89. In Idaho it's $3.64, also from AAA data.

State, federal and local taxes account for about 56 center per gallon of regular in Washington. In Idaho the number is 43 cents per gallon of regular.

Montie Davis cranks up his 2002 Grand Cherokee for a 4-mile trip to the gym and a 2-mile trip to his job at the bakery department at Fred Meyer several times a week from his home near Amity Road. The way he figures it, he’s putting a lot of wear and tear on the engine of his 70,000-mile vehicle, plus dumping about $60 into the gas tank every time it needs filling. So Davis, 65, recently bought a 150 cc scooter that gets about 75 miles to the gallon. As the weather warms, he intends to take it for the short hauls and save his Cherokee for the longer fishing trips he savors. “It’s going to help,” he said/Bill Roberts, Statesman. More here. (AP file photo)

Question: Have you considered buying a scooter to drive around town and save money on gas?

The price of gas continues rising and the busiest driving season is a few months away.

The Associated Press reports the average price of gas in Washington has reached $3.88 per gallon of regular gas.

Prices quoted rely on a AAA auto club survey of stations and dealers across the state. The $3.88 figure is 6 cents more than last week and 24 cents up from a month ago.

And it's 11 cents higher than the national average.

POST FALLS - If gas prices haven't topped off yet, AAA expects them to before hitting $4 a gallon.

While prices continue to climb about a dime a week - they averaged $3.43 a gallon in Coeur d'Alene on Wednesday and a nickel more in Post Falls - the end is likely in sight, said Dave Carlson, AAA Idaho spokesman.

“Given what we're seeing at the moment, it's consistent with AAA's earlier predictions that U.S. pump prices should top out in the neighborhood of $3.75, barring unforeseen events,” Carlson said. Read more. Brian Walker, Cda Press

How much does it cost you to fill up your tank these days?

Gas prices have jumped by 18 cents, the second-largest one-week increase since 1990, the AAA reports, second only to the September 2005 spike after Hurricane Katrina. The rise pushed the average U.S. gas price to $3.47 per gallon, and the Idaho average to $3.28 a gallon, AAA said; you can see their latest gas prices report here, including price comparisons in six Idaho communities.

Gas prices in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene show no sign of retreating. The price per gallon of regular jumped three cents in both cities from Monday to Tuesday.

From Tuesday to Wednesday the price jumped another three cents, on average, in Spokane.

That would be from $3.21 to $3.24 per gallon of regular, according to data found on GasBuddy.com.

Not surprising, you're going to find an increasing number of apps and tools to help find the best prices in your location.

We've found five which are either free or cost very little:  GasBuddy's own smartphone app; iGasUp, which uses data from Oil Price Information Service (OPIS); something called GasBook; an app called Poynt (which does more than gas pricing); and an iPhone only app called Local Gas Prices.

Today's Spokesman Review story on the rise in gas prices indicates people are concerned enough to cut down on travel trips or use less expensive means of transport.

One follow-up received here came from LeaseTrader.com, a site to help companies finding or leasing vehicles.

Their comment on the impact of higher prices has two points to make: 

—Based off 2008 modeling, LeaseTrader.com believes drivers won't take specific action (reduced gas consumption, exiting lease contracts) until gas reaches $4 per gallon.

A local convenience store in Lawrence, Kan., had to improvise when fuel prices required more number two's than were on hand Thursday. Oil prices rose again Thursday as the rebellion in Libya appeared to have shut down even more oil production than previously estimated. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Question: How much higher do gas prices have to go before your driving habits are affected?

Idaho’s average gas price is now $2.99 per gallon, up four cents in the past three weeks and 31 cents above the national average of $2.68, according to AAA of Idaho. But the AAA is forecasting a 10 percent increase in auto travel over the Labor Day holiday weekend in Idaho and the region, compared to last year, despite the pricier gas. “We do not expect Idaho’s higher gas prices will have any sizable impact on travel intentions, though the final tally may have more to say on that topic,” said Dave Carlson, director of public and government affairs for AAA Idaho.

The group’s daily fuel gauge report showed that Idaho’s average gas price ties for the fifth-most expensive gas in the country, behind only Alaska, $3.51 per gallon; Hawaii, $3.47; California, $3.08; and Washington, $3.06. Idaho tied with Oregon, but Oregon doesn’t have self-serve gas, requiring motorists to let an attendant pump their gas for them.

AAA said Idaho’s average price has been more than 20 cents higher than the national average gas price for the past five months. “Market factors can influence prices from region to region and even locally, but it’s difficult to comprehend what’s driving this year’s high pump prices in Idaho,” Carlson said. Click here to read AAA’s full statement.

Idaho’s gas prices are at least 20 cents per gallon above the national average, and they’ve been that way for most of the spring, the AAA says, mainly because Utah refineries aren’t producing enough to meet demand. AAA tells the Idaho Statesman prices likely will fall in the next month./Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise

Question: Will you drive anywhere for the holiday weekend, despite gas prices?

Here’s a news item from The Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The spokesman for AAA Idaho says the reason a gallon of gas in the state has been at least 20 cents higher than the national average for most of the spring is because refineries in Utah aren’t producing enough to meet demand in the two states. Dave Carlson says lawmakers in Utah should ask refineries why more isn’t being produced. AAA reports that the national average cost for a gallon of regular gasoline on Friday was $2.749. The cost in Idaho is $3.023, and in Utah $3.055. Carlson told the Idaho Statesman that Idaho is an isolated market and that’s part of the reason for the higher prices. He predicts gas prices will fall in the next 30 days.

Kathy Hedberg/Lewiston Tribune columnizes: “A person could be tempted to become skeptical about why gas prices jump up and down with such wide variations from one part of the country - or the state - to another. Last week we were told the reason gas prices in Idaho are up nearly 20 cents a gallon more than in the rest of the country is because of financial troubles at a Utah oil refinery. Some guy in Salt Lake City bounced a check and now we here in Idaho have to pay the price. I never realized the petroleum business was that fragile. But, then, I began to wonder the last time there was a big bump in price and we were told the oil company manager’s grandma had died and he shut down the plant to attend her funeral. Oil distribution, it seems, is like a virus. Somebody sneezes and everybody within hundreds of miles comes down with the flu. More here.

Question: If you were to make an educated guess, how do you think that gas prices REALLY are set in the various parts of the state, region, and country?

Paul Schopfer pumps  gas at the Coeur d’Alene Casino station near Worley

COEUR d’ALENE - Gas prices moved upward in recent weeks in the Coeur d’Alene area and nationally, and prices are projected to creep higher during at least the next few weeks.

In this neck of the woods, consumers said they have noticed the increase, and would change their driving habits if the prices go much higher than $3 a gallon. Others said they would just have to endure the pain, and couldn’t reduce their driving.

In Coeur d’Alene Thursday, the average price for regular gas had reached $2.78 a gallon, compared with a month ago when it was $2.55. In Post Falls, the average price reached $2.88, up 20 cents from a month ago, said AAA Idaho spokesman Dave Carlson. Read more. David Cole, Cda Press

Where’s the best place to buy gas in your area?

The Idaho AAA says gas prices in Idaho are now the ninth highest in the nation and they’re “refusing to budge,” even as prices are falling in other states. “The peak driving season is over and prices in the rest of the country have dropped from their seasonal highs in most regions of the country, but not here,” said AAA Idaho Public Affairs Director Dave Carlson. Idaho’s average price for regular gas is now $2.71, AAA reported, within a penny of its level for the past month. Nationwide, national average gas prices have dropped 14 cents in the past month to $2.53. Things are even worse up north, AAA noted, with gas in Sandpoint and Lewiston at $2.83 and Coeur d’Alene at $2.75. Click “continue reading” below to read AAA’s full press release.

Everyone’s noticed the upward creep in gas prices.

After plummeting from record highs late last year, prices have inched upward ever since January. That’s true across the board, but of course it’s often the differences in prices among regions that attract our attention — the steady difference of 15 to 20 cents a gallon between Spokane and Coeur d’Alene is the one that most often catches our attention.

Spokane’s prices are averaging $2.29 a gallon for regular unleaded, according to AAA. That’s up 22 cents from a month ago, and it’s 20 cents higher than Coeur d’Alene’s average. That’s a pretty typical difference in recent years — a year ago, it was a 16-cent spread between the cities, and when gas prices reached record levels last July, the spread was 12 cents. 

Experts have said the difference results from a combination of factors: lower gas taxes in Idaho, generally higher wholesale gas prices as it’s pumped west from refineries in Montana, and the possibility that Washington gas retailers may have to raise their prices a bit to make up for business lost of Idaho.

Here’s how Tim Hamilton, executive director of Automotive United Trades Association, an Olympia-based non-profit that represents independent gas retailers, explained that final point to the Spokesman-Review in 2007.

”Washington dealers are forced to increase their margins to cover the loss of business from the transfer of sales from one side of the state line to the other,” he said, noting that an increased retail margin can add from 1.5 cents to 5 cents to the cost per gallon. “We call that a ‘death spiral’ in the gasoline business,” Hamilton said.

 

 Gas attendant Scott Mathews pumps gas at DiBacco’s Service Center Tuesday in Beverly, Mass. Oil prices dropped below $36 Tuesday, with rising supplies and inventories offsetting expectations of further OPEC production cuts. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

Question: Any guesses re: how high prices will go this time?