If you are in the Loch Sheldrake area (Sullivan County, Catskills) and need gas, read the following article from today’s Times Herald Record:
A gas war between mini-mart stations less than a mile apart in Loch Sheldrake has escalated to the point that both are charging $3.79 a gallon for regular unleaded.
That’s about 25 cents less than any gas station in the region, and possibly the lowest price for regular unleaded in the state, according to surveys.
The Valero and Mobil stations on Route 52 have consistently had some of the lowest gas prices in Sullivan County. And at both stations on Monday, cars waited in lines five and six cars deep for a turn at the pumps, which were packed throughout the day.
Stations around Sullivan County are charging $4 a gallon and up.
“I don’t know how they are doing that “¦ $3.79 sounds pretty cheap,” said Chander Bhan, manager of the Mobil in Monticello, where the price was $4.09 a gallon on Monday.
In Loch Sheldrake, the stations’ rivalry to offer bottom-barrel prices hit a different kind of low this spring.
In May, the manager of the Valero station, Manhar Patel, was arrested and charged with felony conspiracy, accused of trying to hire an acquaintance to blow up the Mobil for $650.
Patel, who is still managing the station, refused to comment on the charges Monday and denied he’s in a gas war. He said he’s simply offering a fair price for his customers.
Valero is selling at $3.79 a gallon to customers who pay cash, and $3.89 for credit cards. The Mobil sells at $3.79 for both credit and cash customers.
(YW-112 / Times Herald Record)
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6 Responses
Gas station owners don’t generally have much control over the price of gas. They usually charge no more than 12-20 cents more than the wholesale price that they buy it at. It’s very unlikely that a small gas station would sell gas for less than they paid (and illegal in NJ, don’t know about NY) so be careful when buying.
I had two separate bad incidents that came from going to the cheapest gas station around. In one case, they were pumping more than just gas (I don’t know if it was water or detergent, but it cost alot to clean it up). In the other, the gallon meter was off (it claimed to have pumped 16 gallons into my 14.5 gallon tank when it was still 1/4 full). I reported the second incident to the Dept of Weights and Measures.
I learned my lesson, and I just wanted everyone else to know what to be suspicious of. Not that a low gas price implies shenannigans, but it’s good to be aware.
3.62 in south jersey (berlin, williamstown)
Wow! That’s about 10 cents less than what you see in Joisy. At least the prices are dropping BH. I was in SC yesterday and filled up for 3.67 a gallon!!!! BTW, that wasn’t even the cheapest price I saw for ‘brand name’ gas either.
Whoo dee doo!!!!
I love such news.
Any gas wars in the Flatbush area?
The reason why the gas is so cheap is that the gas stations have to compete with the kayakers on Loch Sheldrake. (just teasing)
Gas is going down, because there is less of a demand, because people are not driving as much as they used to.