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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesDATA SHOW V.I. GAS PRICES ROSE A LOT IN 1999

DATA SHOW V.I. GAS PRICES ROSE A LOT IN 1999

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in recent days in the territory, but they've been rising steadily for the last year.
According to a Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department report, wholesale gasoline prices increased an average of 28 cents a gallon for premium last year and 27 cents a gallor for regular. As wholesale prices rose, so did those at the pumps, the report said.
On St. Thomas, retailers raised the prices on self-serve and full-serve premium gas an average of 35 cents and 38 cents, respectively. Self-serice regular went up 38 cents and full-service regular increased 39 cents.
On St. Croix, gas stations slightly lowered their prices overall last year. Self-service premium increased by 6.5 cents a gallon, while self-serve regular decreased by 6.2 cents, according to the DLCA.
Full-serve premium has topped $2.07 at some St. Thomas stations in the last two weeks. Even on St. Croix, where stations purchase their fuel directly from the Hovensa refinery, pump prices have been going up.
LCA Commissioner Andrew Rutnik doesn't see them dropping anytime soon. What concerns him locally, he said, is that, "It is clear that retailers are using the increase in oil prices to boost their profit margin."
He termed it "reprehensible that while oil prices have driven gas prices through the sun roof, local retailers would impose an additional hike on our cash-strapped consumers."
Nationally, petroleum industry executives are predicting price hikes of up to 60 cents more a gallon by summer. Here are the best buys an LCA survey found for current prices:
On St. Croix, the lowest price for self-serve regular was $1.08 a gallon, at Five Corners and Tony’s. For self-serve premium it was $1.15, at U&W.
For full-serve regular and premium, Prosperity was the place, selling them at $1.19 and $1.23, respectively.
On St. Thomas, the lowest self-serve regular and premium were found at Fast Stop — $1.83 and $1.93, respectively. American Yacht Harbor had the cheapest full-service regular and premium — $1.78 and $1.88.
And on St. John, Domino Oil had the lowest prices for full-service regular and premium at $1.95 and $1.99, respectively. Full service is the only way gas is sold at the three stations on St. John.

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