When will diesel prices come down?

trapperkeeper

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Northeast, US
TDI
Golf MK4, Jetta MK5
There's been a lot of talk about why it's so high, but what I want to know is when will it come down? It's been way above average temps in the NorthEast so I would have expected demand for diesel in general to be less than expected (home heating oil demand down) and yet I see diesel almost at what it was post katrina @ $2.79/gal average and RUL @ $2.09/gal. At least in Vermont.

At this point in time, a Toyota corolla gets better price/mile than my TDI Golf adjusted for the + $.60/gal premium of diesel... I had foolishly thought when I bought my TDI that the truckers would help keep the cost of diesel in check, but I don't see too much screaming from them, they are just passing along costs which means as a diesel passenger car group, we are kind of up the creek without a paddle.

So, is there anyone knowledgeable about when we might see some relief? At this point even driving my truck is getting to be a reasonable alternative. IMHO, the price of diesel is what will kill diesel acceptance in the US and further drive inferior hybrids. And I am not knocking hybrids to all you Prius owners, just that they are more complicated and don't get any better MPG when you compare to a TDI with the same tires/load/driving habits...
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
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Oct 16, 2005
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Newark, OH
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We'll see them come down in spring, most likely.

However, there's the fact that we're buying everyone's excess gasoline for cheap cheap cheap, and nobody has excess diesel...
 

Thunderstruck

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Feb 19, 2004
Location
Chicago
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2015 GTI SE 6M
Didn't see any info about how it affected prices, but distillates supplies rose by 2.6 million barrels where analysts had predicted a 450,000 barrel rise. The production goes where the money is, and right now distillates command a premium relative to gasoline.
OPEC is upping it's demand forecast for next year-they say higher prices are not destroying demand.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
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Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
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2.259? Holy crap...

I saw 2.509 today in Newark, OH, forget what station, but it was probably the BP at 13 and Deo.

Then again, at the Kroger in Mt. Gilead, it was $3.099 before discounts, $3.069 with the base (read: no groceries) discount, last night. :eek:
 

TornadoRed

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Aug 3, 2003
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West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
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Thunderstruck said:
Didn't see any info about how it affected prices, but distillates supplies rose by 2.6 million barrels where analysts had predicted a 450,000 barrel rise.
Not only were distillate supplies up nationally, but also up in every region except one.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/...roleum_status_report/current/pdf/figure05.pdf
Only in PADD III, the Gulf Coast area, were distillate supplies down just a wee bit.
As for prices coming down... I paid $3.299 on October 12th, $2.699 tonight. Down 60 cents in five weeks, that's not bad. And I expect another 10 cent decline in the next week.
 

mrGutWrench

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Carrboro, NC
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'03 Jetta Wagon, 5-speed, 563K Miles (July '23)
TornadoRed said:
(snip) I paid $3.299 on October 12th, $2.699 tonight.
__. Yes, things vary. On 28th of October, I paid $2.51 at the Flying J near Whytheville VA (on I-81 in the corner of VA near Tennessee) and on November 8th, I paid $2.18 at the Flying J north of Richmond VA. There seems to be kind of a price war on I-95 in Virginia, the new Love's near Emporia is establishing business by cutting prices -- usually a cent or two above Flying J -- and the older Emporia truckstops (Sadler's, Davis's) are meeting those prices.
__. With home heating oil stocks being built up, I don't see diesel falling much very quickly but it appears that the "Katrina" shock is over.
'
 

dave333

Veteran Member
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Sep 3, 2005
Location
SE US
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Did own... None right now!
trapperkeeper said:
At this point in time, a Toyota corolla gets better price/mile than my TDI Golf adjusted for the + $.60/gal premium of diesel...
There is a $.26/gal differential around here, RUL vs Diesel. FWIW, I'll take the Golf any day of any week of any year over a Corolla.... More power, much easier to get more power, therefore easier to have more fun, more features making it even more fun. Fun, fun, fun and then more fun.
 

Fammaden

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Location
USA
TDI
None yet.
I'm seeing some stations at 2.49 now after having been steady at 2.59 or more for a week or two. RUG is between 2.09 and 2.19 though.
 

PDJetta

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Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
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'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
The Hess I used to buy fuel at raised prices to $3.00 a gallon right after Katrinia hit (late Aug./early Sept?) and they are still 3.00 a gal. I'm baffled, because their RUL has steadily fallen at the Hess, and last night, was $2.15 a gallon. That's an 85 cent spread! Even the outragously high Exxon that used to have diesel always priced 40 cents above the Hess is cheaper. Its at $2.89 a gallon. I found a Sunoco that has it for $2.69 a gallon and have been filling up there, but I have to go 15 miles out of my way to get it. I also fill up a couple of 5 gallon "gas" cans at the same time.

I am sure tempted to make the 45 mile each way drive to Fredericksburg, VA and buy diesel there for 2.14 a gallon (according to gasbuddy.com), but I'd spend a couple of hours doing it and burn $5 in fuel getting it. Why the heck does the price vary so much? It has to be more than taxes, because this is within the same state!

--Nate
 

McBrew

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Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
Diesel has been hovering around $2.89 in these parts. One station just lowered to $2.59 this morning. Regular unleaded was $2.13 at the same station. Geez... I guess we might see sub-$2 gas again... unfortunately.

Oh, well.. my last fill-up was B100 @ $3.93/gal.
 

TDIgnifyd

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Sep 30, 2005
Location
Mississauga, ON, Canada
TDI
2006 Golf GLS
Prices are pretty ridiculous as well here in Toronto - between $0.92 to $1.08 per litre for D2. However, there is still a slight cost-savings with my TDI compared to my Subaru ... very minimal though ... hopefully things will come down after the winter.
 

overbite

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Mar 10, 2004
Location
Eagle Lake, MN
TDI
1996 passat
Speaking of sub-$2 gas, my brother lives just south of Des Monies IA and last week they had $1.86/gal gas. Yeah, he flips me some sheet. Oh well It is still cheap (and more fun) for me to drive my car. If only he could do math...
 

catmandoo

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May 9, 2005
Location
ia
TDI
2000 jetta gls tdi,91 2dr jetta gl n/a diesel
here in n.w. iowa today gas was 1.99,diesel 2.59
 

tjl

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Joined
Mar 19, 2001
Location
California, USA
TDI
2001 Golf GLS
Huge difference in price between different stations?

What is weird (at least here in California) is that there are huge price differences between different stations for diesel.

E.g. some stations (which are normally the cheaper brands) are still around $3.239 or so. But there's a Shell (normally an expensive brand) that has it for $2.759. And a 76 truck stop that I saw while riding the train to work has it for $2.509.

Meanwhile, gasoline prices are pretty close between stations -- the cheap ones are around $2.479 for regular, with the more expensive brands like Shell 10-15 cents higher.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
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Newark, OH
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Yeah, gas is like $2.099 everywhere here...

Diesel, OTOH, is ranging between $2.599 and $2.899, not counting Flying J.

Flying J is $2.399. FJ RUL is $1.969. That's right, sub-$2. Damn SUVs are coming back...
 

WisTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
none now; formerly had an '03 Jetta GLS
This morning:

RUL $2.299 per gal
Diesel $2.699 per gal.

Both are dropping although the price spread has narrowed.
Diesel is ranging $.30 per gallon depending on where you choose to fill up.

My guess is that gas has about "bottomed out" in the short term. Diesel will continue it's downward trend.

Then it'll be time for ULSD...
 

McBrew

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Oct 30, 2002
Location
Annapolis, MD
TDI
2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
Damn SUVs are coming back...
Yes, people will never learn.

Diesel will continue it's downward trend. Then it'll be time for ULSD...
Yeah... I bet they'll jack up prices for a while in summer 2006. Just when we start to get a break from winter pricing, too. Oh, well... hopefully my supply of WVO keeps coming in!
 

tdi_allan

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Feb 14, 2003
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Chicago, IL
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2003 Jetta Wagon, 2003 Jetta Sedan (Lemons racer), 2010 Touareg
Yesterday at the Lake Station, IN Flying J - 2.36...
 

jimlockey

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Jan 17, 2003
Location
Mesquite, Texas
TDI
14 TDI Jetta & 09 TDI Sportwagen
When will diesel come down

I don't think the average price of diesel will come down any more.

Congress allowed the oil companies to get by with price gouging with only a little meeting. Congress likes meeting with the oil companies because they got their CAP checks early.
 

airtimeturbo

Vendor
Joined
Nov 18, 2005
Location
Vermont
TDI
too many to list
@ $2.79/gal average and RUL @ $2.09/gal. At least in Vermont.

In St. Johnsbury, VT I am buying B20 for $2.79. My motivation is looking for that smaller "carbon footprint" vs. just the cost to me in dollars.
 

McBrew

Top Post Dawg
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Oct 30, 2002
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Annapolis, MD
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2003 Golf GLS TDI, 5 speed, Silver/Grey
Jimmy... you are right about the oil companies... the neo-cons made sure that the oil company reps didn't have to testify under oath. It has already been proven that many of them lied to Congress.
 

volksbraggin

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Location
east Tennessee
TDI
Looking
Diesel is "only" $2.21/gal at Flying J off I-40 Exit 369 just west of Knoxville TN. 45 miles down the road (where I live), it ranges from $2.49 - 2.89/gal. Besides the daily round trip of ~30 to work, we make (3) 100 mile round trips each week to Knoxville and fill up our '96 Passat when needed. Since purchasing the TDI a couple months ago, we are saving $40+/week in fuel costs compared to the minivan!

RUL around the Knoxville area is as low as $1.90/gal.
 

tdisedanman

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Location
So Florida
TDI
Ex 2005 Passat, TDI and ex 2005.5 Jetta TDI
Yesterday, In South Florida, Diesel was 2.899 OUCH! Price gouging. I can't figure it out as we have several ports here and plenty of fuel.
 

TornadoRed

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West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
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2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
Gouging?

Again the word "gouging" has appeared in a few threads.

Gouging has no economic meaning, it's a legal construct.

A single station that charges far more than its competitors is not gouging.

A chain of stations that charges more may have a more restricted supply of fuel to sell, so they are willing to charge more per gallon and accept the smaller quantity they sell.

A group of competitors who collude to keep prices high are guilty of price-fixing and may be prosecuted by the state or federal authorities.

Nothing I've heard about prices before or since the hurricanes suggest that there's been any gouging, in any of the states.
 
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