Gas prices climb over the $4 mark

Gas prices climbed over the $4 mark just after 3 this afternoon, with stations in Grand Haven sporting a regular unleaded price of $4.17 and $4.18. "We just went up about 45 minutes ago,' said an employee at one of the stations. "Meijer went up and we followed.' Earlier today AAA Michigan reported gas prices up 2 cents a gallon over the previous week to a statewide average of $3.98. This was about $1.13 per gallon higher than the same time last year. Gas in the Tri-Cities this morning ranged from $3.87 to $3.90 prior to the jump.

Becky Vargo

Grand Haven

Apr 25, 2011

Tri-City Oil Company owner Carl Erickson said his Citgo station at the intersection of Pine and Ridge streets in Ferrysburg bumped up the price to $4.17.9 a gallon at 4:10 p.m.

“We follow the competition,” he said.

Prior to the jump, cars were lined up 10 deep at each pump, he said.

“We had them lined up down the street and all over the place,” Erickson said. “People were on their cell phones calling their friends to tell them” that the price was still down at his station.

“Who’d have thought people would get so crazy over $3.87 a gallon,” he said.

Erickson said the gas prices are set by speculators. When the price is higher the profit might be 20 cents a gallon, he said. When it’s lower the profit margin goes down, so they jump the price to get the profits back up.

The last time gas was up over $4 a gallon was between July and September of 2008. According to GasBuddy.com.

Comments

vorkcj

Mon, 04/25/2011 - 9:12pm

just filled up in Arkansas on our way to San Antonio for 3.63 right off freeway. No wonder why tourism is down in Michigan. Why are we 50 cents a gallon more than other states? Michigan needs to rethink the priorities before we have to shut the lignts off......... demand better from our goverment and the businesses in Michigan.

ledrman

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 12:40am

Unbelievable! Prices are based on SPECULATION! Prices should be based on the price of Oil when it was refined into Gasoline/petrol. Not on speculation!

SurfCruise

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 8:39am

Speculation is part of oil just as it is part of any investment. I think the more important question is what is driving the speculation. Its interesting that the cost of oil jumped only hours after the EPA banned drilling in the Arctic. Add to that the new policies that do not let us drill in the Gulf or get the oil we have in Alaska and you can see why speculators are betting that the cost of oil will go up. If you want to lower the cost of oil the first thing to do is change the policies in Washington.

The Voice

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 1:52pm

off to get the locking gas cap tonight, won't be long before those Noth of Washington strat stealing my gas....

BIGGH

Tue, 04/26/2011 - 4:31pm

Hey 'Voice', what a ignorant comment. Is it that you do not know how to spell or type? 'Cause it sure looks like you don't know how think clear!

Mark Brooky

Fri, 04/29/2011 - 9:44pm

I just drove home to Michigan from Florida. The gas prices were between $3.83 and $3.90 in Florida, as low as $3.72 in Georgia and Tenn., and as low as $3.63 in Kentucky. I drove over the river from Ky to Indiana on Thursday and couldn't believe it: $4.19 a gallon! Surely, I thought, it couldn't be that high in Michigan.

So the Ohio River divides us by more than 50-cents per gallon.

I also drove by the devastation in Ringgold, Ga., on Wednesday morning. That sight is burned into my brain. After that, I'm thinking that we really have nothing to complain about.

zwesterhouse

Tue, 09/11/2012 - 7:13pm

The oil companies know voters are stupid. They know you will vote for whomever they secretly endorse. Because you people and voters are all stupid. Just plain stupid. Why in the Hades did you vote for Amana Price?, Arlan Meekhof? because your stupid! completely utterly stupid. And the oil companies marketing divisions know that. they exploit voters, because they know they are stupid.