Lower Gas Prices, Please

Utah’s gas prices have risen (or rather 47 other states prices have fallen) to a point where our average gas prices are now the third highest in the nation. We’re only being beaten out by Hawaii and Nevada. Yup! Californians now pay less for a gallon of gas than Utahns do.

For a few weeks now the question on many people’s lips has been “Why?” Utah has five of its own oil refineries, so transportation isn’t an issue. Some less intelligent retailers have claimed it’s because of the “high priced gas left in the tanks.” That’s clearly smoke and mirrors since gas prices will jump at a moments notice when there’s even an imaginary threat to the oil supply. Why aren’t they still selling the “cheaper priced gas left in the tanks” at the lower price?

Well, Utah’s Governor Huntsman has had enough. He’s been working with a team of investigators to figure out what’s going on. There conclusion, so far? Utah is just being gouged at the pump. That’s it. Greed is keeping the prices high. The other states rose faster than we did, and got gouged on the way up, so we’re getting gouged on the way down.

I love what KSL is doing. They’ve got two strategies. First, they openly report the lowest gas prices in town. Right now they say in Salt Lake, the cheapest gas is the 7-11 on 2100 South and State Street, for $2.58. Just thought I’d pass it on.

The other thing is that Doug Wright, one of KSL’s talk show hosts, is calling for a boycott of the gas stations.  Don’t buy gas on October 13th if the prices don't go down before then.

I’m with you Doug.