By Andrew Weeks
Only a month ago, Chevron gas station dealer Bob Lovell was selling gasoline at more than $3 a gallon for regular self-serve.
Now he’s excited to see that prices are finally declining because he does more business with lower prices and makes more of a profit.
The price for regular unleaded at Lovell’s station at 601 E. First St. in Port Angeles on Monday night was $2.65 a gallon, pretty much the average for Clallam and Jefferson counties, with some prices around the $2.55 range.
Some places in the state have lower gas prices — as low as $2.35 a gallon in Longview as reported on www.washingtongasprices.com on Monday, and $2.50 in Kitsap County.
But North Olympic Peninsula prices were comparable to Monday’s statewide average of $2.67 for regular self-serve, down from last month’s $2.89, according to the state American Automobile Association.
Range of prices
“A lot of factors influence the wide range of prices you might see in a region,” said Frank Holmes, Northwest region manager for Western States Petroleum Association.
Those factors, he said, range from supply and demand to the local competition.
If there are more gas stations in a given area, prices are usually lower, he said.
Jennifer Harbison, spokeswoman for Washington AAA, says there are other factors to consider.
“You might see stations across the street from each other with different prices, yes,” she said, “but a lot of it depends on supply and demand.”
Fuel prices peaked in September with end-of-summer demands, and have been declining since.
However, Harbison said, there is the possibility that prices could rise again, with people planning to travel over the holidays.
Typically, the summer months are when gas prices spike, dipping again in the fall.
“But then again, this hasn’t been a typical year,” Harbison said, referring to the destruction in the Gulf Coast region caused by Hurricane Katrina.