Sound Off on Current Diesel Price

$4.269/gal in Colville, WA yesterday.

When do the winter blends of diesel hit the pumps?

In Alaska, they've had winterized diesel since October 1st. The rest of us get it November 1st.

I wonder how far south do they switch to winterized diesel?

IIRC, winterized fuel is available at least through the Florida pan handle, but what we get here is a different blend ration than what tornadored would get in Saint Paul.

kjclow said:

IIRC, winterized fuel is available at least through the Florida pan handle, but what we get here is a different blend ration than what tornadored would get in Saint Paul.

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So even in SC we'll get a different blend for winter? In December/January, it rarely get's below freezing, but I've seen it go down to 19 over night in Jan, then up into at least the 40's during the day, with average high's in the mid 50's. Wonder if I'll need an anti-gel formula additive this year.

How much extra do the prices bump for that?

jhinsc said:

So even in SC we'll get a different blend for winter? In December/January, it rarely get's below freezing, but I've seen it go down to 19 over night in Jan, then up into at least the 40's during the day, with average high's in the mid 50's. Wonder if I'll need an anti-gel formula additive this year.

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I've never needed one in Charlotte. Only time I had issues starting my VWs over the past 14 years was more related to a bad glow plug harness than jelled fuel. Of course that also happened to be a 15F degree day at a hotel in Atlanta.

Wankel7 said:

How much extra do the prices bump for that?

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You will not notice it at the pump. Usually coincides with the price bump from the home heating oil demand.

Wankel7 said:

How much extra do the prices bump for that?

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There are stations, mostly truck stops, that sell both winterized and non-winterized diesel. Some trucks are fitted with a heater for the fuel tank, that keeps fuel above the gel point. The non-winterized fuel gets better mileage and costs around a nickel less.

I know of a station, not a truck stop, that sells both premium diesel and straight #2. The premium stuff is about 6-7 cents more in the summer, but 12-15 cents more in winter. But it is really good diesel. Blending with kerosene is the cheap way to winterize fuel, but that station's premium winter diesel doesn't contain kerosene, I don't think.

3.17 Hunterdon NJ

$3.26 in Lake Wylie SC. rug was $2.69

TornadoRed said:

There are stations, mostly truck stops, that sell both winterized and non-winterized diesel. Some trucks are fitted with a heater for the fuel tank, that keeps fuel above the gel point. The non-winterized fuel gets better mileage and costs around a nickel less.

I know of a station, not a truck stop, that sells both premium diesel and straight #2. The premium stuff is about 6-7 cents more in the summer, but 12-15 cents more in winter. But it is really good diesel. Blending with kerosene is the cheap way to winterize fuel, but that station's premium winter diesel doesn't contain kerosene, I don't think.

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I looked for it but could not find the chart that showed when and where D2 gets winterized.

If memory serves in my neck of down south we get winter fuel by the third week of November every year. Florida and the Gulf coast gets their winter fuel by the beginning of December....

The phase out to regular D2 fuel is in most southern locations by sometime in mid to late April....

From experience I always start to treat my fuel at the beginning of Oct to be on the safe side. One unexpected early really cold morning in Oct. with untreated fuel can lead to more than a few bad days.

For a few pennies I get that warm fuzzy feeling instead of having to worry about having a car that will not run on one of those unexpected cold snaps!

This discussion of winterized fuel raises a question for me: I've placed an order for a new Golf TDI, which should be arriving in late November or December. Am I correct to assume that it will arrive from Mexico with just a little fuel, and that the dealer will fill the tank from a local station when I pick it up, so it'll be a reasonable type of fuel for the season? (I live in Rhode Island and the dealer is in Massachusetts, so December will almost certainly be chilly!)

Wankel7 said:

How much extra do the prices bump for that?

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I bought my car last July. Prices jumped from 3.69-3.79 in the summer to $3.89-$4.09 over the winter and it was blamed on huge heating costs and very harsh winter.

However, diesel has remained in the $3.89 to 4.09 all summer long here. So, I never saw it come back down after the harsh winter. According to fuelly, I'm averaging $3.90 a gallon and that counts my fill ups from other states where the prices were lower.

This morning, I saw unleaded regular for $2.89 a gallon and diesel was $3.99 a gallon. $1.10 is starting to annoy me.

3.159 in Round Rock, Tx

$3.29 in Alb,NM

pparks1 said:

This morning, I saw unleaded regular for $2.89 a gallon and diesel was $3.99 a gallon. $1.10 is starting to annoy me.

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When all the other stations are $3.75 or less, there's no reason to pay $3.99.

Ignore those stations, unless you're running on fumes and need to buy a gallon so you can reach a station with a reasonable price.

An unusual sight on GasBuddy this morning… Stations in the city of Mobile are claiming both the lowest AND the highest diesel price in the state of Alabama at the moment.

Someone's reported a Chevron selling D2 for $2.859 — almost certainly in error — while a former Shell now called Discount Center is still selling D2 for $4.009 a gallon. I'm sure that $4 price is accurate as I've been there myself just to see it, back when it was a Shell and was selling for $4.199. It's very consistently reported and always the highest in state.

Even filtering out the anomaly, the difference between the lowest & highest in Mobile is pretty wide: Murphy USA is asking $3.259 and it's only about a mile or two from the station asking $4.009. That's a 75¢ spread!

It must be quite a site at the Discount Center to see regular for $2.669 and D2 for $4.009. I feel sorry for anyone forced to buy any amount there for whatever reason. It can't be that fresh at that price.

I wonder if diesel exports are increasing even more because of the diving oil costs. Even more profitable to export the diesel refined in the US....keeping the diesel prices high?

Wankel7 said:

I wonder if diesel exports are increasing even more because of the diving oil costs. Even more profitable to export the diesel refined in the US....keeping the diesel prices high?

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That argument assumes that someone or some group has control over prices, or seeks to influence prices. It is actually the other way around -- exporters are looking to buy relatively cheap diesel in the US and sell it where prices are higher.

Just reading a story about Russia/China petro deal. The article goes on to talk about the possibility of not using the USD to base oil pricing on. I know there has been talk in the past few years since the housing melt down about world economy moving away from being based on green backs. What worries me is how much this will effect the price of goods and services state side? Including of course gas and Diesel.

Jason

PS; oh and linky

TornadoRed said:

That argument assumes that someone or some group has control over prices, or seeks to influence prices. It is actually the other way around -- exporters are looking to buy relatively cheap diesel in the US and sell it where prices are higher.

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There are so many places that diesel is more expensive than the US. I was Italy this summer and paid over $8 per gallon....yikes!

RUG: 1.089/L
D2: 1.269/L

Both are the lowest it's been since winter 2011.

Wankel7 said:

There are so many places that diesel is more expensive than the US. I was Italy this summer and paid over $8 per gallon....yikes!

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Ah, but most of that is taxes. Importers and exporters focus on the wholesale price or the FOB price. If diesel made from (relatively) inexpensive American or Canadian crude, after it is shipped to Asia or Latin America, is cheaper than diesel from other sources, then it will be sold there until something happens to make it not such a good deal.

Just passed a Gas Station in West Linn, Oregon. Regular gas $3.25, Diesel $3.79. In early September Diesel was cheaper than Regular!

Some stations here still have a $1 to $1.10 difference between gas and diesel fuel. Where I normally buy at Kroeger's, it's typically 40 - 50 cents difference. Last night it was $3.299 and gas was $2.789

$3.17 a gallon yesterday at Murphy's Express.

Wankel7 said:

There are so many places that diesel is more expensive than the US. I was Italy this summer and paid over $8 per gallon....yikes!

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Pretty bad here in the UK too, cheapest supermarket diesel is equivalent to $7.68 Gal US.

Still to look on the bright side that lowest in over a year due to the fall in world oil prices near as $8 this time last year

SilverGhost said:

Just reading a story about Russia/China petro deal. The article goes on to talk about the possibility of not using the USD to base oil pricing on. I know there has been talk in the past few years since the housing melt down about world economy moving away from being based on green backs. What worries me is how much this will effect the price of goods and services state side? Including of course gas and Diesel.

Jason

PS; oh and linky

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That argument has been going on for a several years. Some argue that the Euro would be better but it doesn't have the 200+ year track record for stability as the US dollar.