FOX FACTS:
Some Current State Averages:
Prices Are In US Dollars Per Gallon.
GAS PRICES (Regular)
-- Hawaii is the highest $3.299
-- Wyoming is the lowest $2.604
OTHER STATES
-- Alaska: $2.848
-- Arizona: $3.005
-- California: $3.206
-- Colorado: $2.852
-- Connecticut: $3.044
-- District of Columbia: $3.083
-- Florida: $2.971
-- Iowa: $2.834
-- Idaho: $2.695
-- Illinois: $2.957
-- Kentucky: $2.874
-- Louisiana: $2.875
-- North Carolina: $2.925
-- New York: $3.112
-- Utah: $2.708
-- Vermont: $2.925
-- West Virginia: $2.952
(Source: Associated Press)
Gas Prices - Historic Averages
1949
0.27 per gallon (leaded regular)
1974
0.53 per gallon (leaded regular)
1980
$1.25 per gallon (unleaded regular)
2000
$1.51 per gallon (unleaded regular)
2005
$2.27 per gallon (unleaded regular)
Highest Recorded Price (average): Sept 5, 2005 - $3.03 per gallon (unleaded regular)
(source: Department of Energy and AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report)
National Average for Unleaded Regular - recent milestones
$1.50 per gallon
the week of May 13, 2000: $1.51 per gallon
$1.60 per gallon
the week of June 12, 2000: $1.60 per gallon
$1.70 per gallon
the week of March 29, 2004: $1.71 per gallon
$2.00 per gallon
the week of May 24, 2004: $2.02 per gallon
$2.10 per gallon
the week of March 28, 2005: $2.13 per gallon
$2.25 per gallon
the week of April 11, 2005: $2.25 per gallon
$2.30 per gallon
the week of August 8, 2005: $2.32 per gallon
$2.50 per gallon
the week of August 15, 2005: $2.51 per gallon
$3.00 per gallon
the week of September 5, 2005: $3.03 per gallon
(source: Department of Energy)
Cost to Fill Your Car
Cost To Fill Up A 2006-Model Car (By Size of Car at 3 Price Levels)
Full size sport utility*: fuel capacity is 25.4 gallons
Cost to fill up 25.4 gallon gas tank at $2 / gallon: $50.80
Cost to fill up 25.4 gallon gas tank at $3 / gallon: $76.20
Cost to fill up 25.4 gallon gas tank at $4 / gallon: $101.60
Midsize sedan**: fuel capacity is 18.5 gallons
Cost to fill up 18.5 gallon gas tank at $2 / gallon: $37.00
Cost to fill up 18.5 gallon gas tank at $3 / gallon: $55.50
Cost to fill up 18.5 gallon gas tank at $4 / gallon: $74.00
Compact sedan***: fuel capacity is 13.2 gallons
Cost to fill up 13.2 gallon gas tank at $2 / gallon: $26.40
Cost to fill up 13.2 gallon gas tank at $3 / gallon: $39.60
Cost to fill up 13.2 gallon gas tank at $4 / gallon: $52.80
Notes:
*Calculation based upon 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser
**Calculation based upon 2006 Toyota Camry
***Calculation based upon 2006 Toyota Corolla
Gasoline Shortages
-In 2005 a number of petroleum companies announced their intent to remove MTBE from their gasoline in 2006
-The largest use of MTBE is in RFG consumed on the East Coast outside of New York and Connecticut and in Texas
-RFG areas in the Midwest and California have already moved from MTBE to ethanol
-MTBE is a chemical compound that is manufactured by the chemical reaction of methanol and isobutylene.
-MTBE is produced in very large quantities
-MTBE is almost exclusively used as a fuel additive in motor gasoline
-MTBE is one of a group of chemicals commonly known as "oxygenates" because they raise the oxygen content of gasoline
-At room temperature, MTBE is a volatile, flammable and colorless liquid that dissolves rather easily in water
-MTBE has been used in U.S. gasoline at low levels since 1979 to replace lead as an octane enhancer
-Since 1992, MTBE has been used at higher concentrations in some gasoline to fulfill the oxygenate requirements set by Congress in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments
-Most refiners chose to use MTBE over other oxygenates primarily for its blending characteristics and for economic reasons
-Consumers can report activity at local gasoline filling stations that they believe may constitute “gouging” or “price fixing” by visiting http://gaswatch.energy.gov/.
-Last year, nearly 35,000 people reported gasoline prices to the Department of Energy’s web site and hotline
Sources: DOE, EPA
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