Gas prices

Posted Monday, October 27, 2008, at 12:38 PM

We've been getting calls and e-mails today about the difference in gas prices between Shelbyville and some of our neighboring counties., which is apparently quite dramatic today.

Most of the callers are asking the question "why," but that's a hard one for us at the newspaper to answer. I just did a search for some of our past stories on gas prices, and I note that we generally have a hard time getting the parent companies who make such decisions to talk to us.

The best we can do in such cases is point out when there's a large price discrepancy and hope that if we bring light to the situation, buyers can exercise their own judgement as informed consumers and prices will eventually even out. That's why, every day on page 4, we publish a representative gas price from Shelbyville, Murfreesboro and Tullahoma, and have been doing so for some time.

We're still looking at the situation. Please feel free to leave word in the comments about prices you have seen in the area.

Comments
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It is just quite ironic how the price of gas has plummeted with the financial markets... Remember the oil speculators were those heavily involved in the financial markets and they continued to "predict" high prices... then when the banks began to fail, so did the oil market. Interesting..

As for local gas prices visit www.gasbuddy.com

Murfreesboro-lowest price reported is 2.39/gallon

Manchester-lowest price reported is 2.08/gallon

Tullahoma-lowest price reported is 2.33/gallon

Shelbyville-lowest price reported is 2.54/gallon

-- Posted by darrick_04 on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 12:59 PM

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS @2.09 IN MANCHESTER AND WHY OURS IS STILL $2.56.

-- Posted by adder on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:03 PM

I know about gasbuddy, but part of the problem has been that it's been a little out-of-date this morning. I was more asking for first-person information.

-- Posted by Jicarney on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:09 PM

in winchester gas prices are under $2 a gallon

-- Posted by daysfan207 on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:29 PM

It is $1.98 in Winchester at Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

What is the deal with Shelbyville?

-- Posted by jaxspike on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:31 PM

http://www.tennesseegasprices.com/ from GasBuddy

All updated this morning...

-- Posted by darrick_04 on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:32 PM

Someone is making a profit at our expense and the newspaper might want to check on this . . .

-- Posted by jaxspike on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:50 PM

Does it have something to do with the county taxes? I had heard that the reason Shelbyville's gas prices were higher than Murfreesboro's prices was because of our county's tax, of course I have no idea if this is even true or not. I am just wondering out loud.

-- Posted by Dianatn on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:54 PM

I was also just told by someone it was because we are so-called off the beaten path (I assume that means we are not close to an interstate) the charge for delivery is higher the further away from an interstate you are..I guess that is why gas is always cheaper at interstate exits? Again I have no idea if this is even true or not.

-- Posted by Dianatn on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 1:58 PM

The figures on gasbuddy this morning, regardless of what time stamp was on them, weren't in line with what I was hearing on the phone, and so I was asking for additional first-person input. No such web site is infallible (and this informal survey won't be, either); I was just looking for more information.

-- Posted by Jicarney on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 2:05 PM

Dianatn . . .Winchester is off the beaten bath just like Tullahoma but yet they are cheaper.

-- Posted by jaxspike on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 2:29 PM

We were in the Manchester and Winchester areas on Saturday and filled up in Manchester for $2.07. I saw the Home Depot gas for $1.98. I couldn't believe it was true, although there were plenty of cars in line for a fill up there.

I am not sure what you mean by first person input. I know what I saw and I know what I paid for gas on Saturday. I can not answer with first person knowledge as to why Shelbyville's gas prices are higher, but I can attest to the fact that they are. I travel extensively for 9 or 10 of the year, at least one week-end a month and I can say that I have always found gas prices lower than Shelbyville's everywhere I have been - that includes East, Mid and West TN; PA, KY and AL. It's all the information I can provide as a first-person observer and you'll have to take my word on it.

-- Posted by amalphia on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 2:30 PM

All I meant by "first person input" is that you, personally, saw a price. What you gave was exactly what I was looking for.

-- Posted by Jicarney on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 2:47 PM

Well, here's my experience (mind you, I've not bought gas anywhere lately except for at the first place):

At exit 97 (Beech Grove) you can get gas at the BP for $2.19 a gallon, but you're going to pay $2.53 in Shelbyville, $2.48 in Murfreesboro, and a whopping $2.89 still at some places in Franklin (where I work).

I know there are many variables (most of which are probably courtesy of the government), but I'm going to use simple math and act as if I have no idea why these prices are so different (because I don't).

So, assuming that it's a 10,000 gallon truck, it costs them an extra $7000 per tanker to deliver gas to Franklin than it does to Beech Grove. That means that it costs them an extra $4000 to drive from I-24 at exit 97 to Shelbyville. If these trucks get 5 miles to the gallon at $3.899 a gallon/diesel (which I think is probably close to realistic) then they are driving about 5109 miles out of the way to make the 20 mile trip to Shelbyville. And I have absolutely no idea where they're going to get to Franklin.

-- Posted by Thom on Mon, Oct 27, 2008, at 9:33 PM

In Beech Grove it is 2.19 a gallon.What a big difference from just here in town.Only a few miles apart. That was on Sunday and it may be cheaper now.

-- Posted by heaven8kids7grandrebelrose on Tue, Oct 28, 2008, at 9:30 AM

Can you post the gas prices of Decherd and Winchester? They seem to have the lowest prices in the state of Tennessee

-- Posted by cordell on Tue, Oct 28, 2008, at 9:50 AM

2.46/gallon - 8:00p.m. Wal-Mart or Murphy Oil in Shelbyville....

And it is currently 1.98/gallon in Winchester

1.99/gallon in Decherd...

Guess what, by Election Day I bet all of Tennessee will be near 2.00/gallon. Coincidence? Who knows...

-- Posted by darrick_04 on Tue, Oct 28, 2008, at 9:00 PM

2.34 a gallon in Murfreesboro this morning. Every station on Church Street was within one or two cents of this price.

-- Posted by darrick_04 on Wed, Oct 29, 2008, at 3:50 PM