Everyone's searching for cheap gas. Motorists have learned the hard way that gas prices vary greatly along Highway 84, from I-95 in Midway to Airport Road in Walthourville. The prices in outlying areas vary even more.
The Courier examined gas prices in the community; the prices reported in this story do not include “club” card or other special discounts.
On Tuesday afternoon, the highest price for unleaded regular gas found between I-95 and Airport Road along Highway 84 was $3.659 per gallon at the Tobacco Outlet in McIntosh.
A recent caller to the Courier’s Sound off claimed a station off Islands Highway was selling gas for more than $3.70 per gallon.
Several Hinesville stores on Highway 84 tied for the lowest price for unleaded regular gas at $3.259, including Enmark, Clyde’s Market, Chevron and two Flash Foods.
Parker’s in Flemington took second with $3.269 per gallon for unleaded regular. The Parker’s just south of Walmart was slightly higher, selling unleaded for $3.299 per gallon.
The stores with the highest gas prices along Highway 84 in Hinesville were Sunoco at $3.379 per gallon and CITGO at $3.319. The price difference was greatest between the same stores in Midway and those in Hinesville.
Store managers had no comment about the 40 cents per gallon variation among gas stations between I-95 and Airport Road. The manager at Parker’s at I-95 declined to say anything about the price of gas, which she said is set by the corporate office in Savannah.
The price of regular at that station Tuesday was $3.459 per gallon. Parker’s price was 1 cent lower than the price for regular at the Shell station next door.
Denise Smith, manager at the Clyde’s in Midway, said she sees a pattern.
“As far as I can tell, prices are going down,” she said. “Last week, it was over $3.60 a gallon. This week, it’s $3.45 (per gallon).”
Smith said she has nothing to do with setting the price of gas at her store, but sets the price on the pumps according to what the corporate office tells her. Two other Midway stations, BP and Sparker, matched Clyde’s price for unleaded regular.
In fact, along that route, whenever two or more gas stations are close to each other, price-conscious motorists discover the price of gas is the same or within a penny of the other stations in the immediate area.
Calls requesting specific information about pricing criteria were placed by the Courier to Parker’s corporate office in Savannah and Clyde’s corporate office in Glennville. Each call was referred to the stores’ owners, who did not return calls by press time Tuesday.
According to GeorgiaGasPrices.com, the average price of gas in Georgia as of Oct. 30 is $3.369. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average price for gas in the U.S. as of Oct.29 is $3.568.