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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
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No Relief for Drivers as Pump Prices Jump

July 3, 2008 — A June 26 survey of gas prices in the V.I. showed an average jump of about 17 cents per gallon in barely three weeks.
The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs survey found a range of $3.59 to $4.95, up from $3.37 to $4.82 a gallon on June 6.
While many of the territory's residents don't have as far to drive for work and shopping as those on the mainland, people are still trying to conserve.
"I bought a small fuel-efficient car for running errands," Vacation St. Croix owner Marti Gotts said Thursday.
Gotts recently began subsidizing fuel costs for her housekeeping and maintenance workers, who use their own cars to get around to Vacation St. Croix's vacation villas. Gotts said that, unfortunately, most of them live at the western end of St. Croix while most of the vacation villas are on the eastern part of the island. That means they have to drive 15 or 20 miles just to get to their jobs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday issued some tips on ways to cut fuel usage. The agency suggested maintaining a reasonable speed and avoiding rapid acceleration and braking. Vehicles should be well-maintained with properly inflated tires and clean air filters. Walking or biking was urged as well as combining errands into one trip and using public transportation where available.
The survey showed that on St. Thomas, the best price for self-service regular gasoline was found at Texaco Airport for $4.29 per gallon. Texaco Airport also had the best price per gallon of self-service premium gasoline at $4.39. For full-service regular and premium gasoline, the best price per gallon was at Smith Bay Texaco at $4.29 per gallon for regular and $4.40 per gallon for premium. The most expensive gasoline on St. Thomas was reported at Gottlieb’s Quickway, which sold a gallon of self-service premium gasoline at $4.72.
On St. Croix, the cheapest gasoline was priced at $3.59 per gallon and the most expensive at $4.75 per gallon.
Five independent stations offered the best price per gallon on self-service regular gasoline. The stations included are A&H Service Station, Amigos Service Station, Exxcel Service Station, Karim Service Station, and Lower Love Service Station. The five stations sold self-service regular at $3.59 per gallon. The most expensive regular gasoline, $4.75 per gallon, was found at two stations: Welco Gas Station and Smokey’s Service Corporation.
All gas stations on St. Croix are independently owned.
For self-service premium octane, four stations offered the most economical price of $3.69 per gallon. They are A&H Service Station, Amigos Service Station, Exxcel Service Station and Karim Service Station.
The most expensive self-service premium octane gasoline was $3.96 per gallon at Lionel Service Center. The price of full-service fuel on St. Croix ranged from $3.89 per gallon for regular octane to $4.75 for premium grade. NuWay Gas Station had the best prices on full-service regular and full-service premium. The cost of diesel ranged from $3.89 to $4.89 per gallon. The best diesel price on St. Croix was found at Amigos Service Station.
On St. John, the best bargain for the consumer was found at Domino Oil which offered full-service regular gasoline at $4.53 per gallon and full-service premium gasoline at $4.60 per gallon. The only other service station on St. John, E&C, sold self-service regular octane at $4.78 a gallon and sold self-service premium octane at $4.95 a gallon. E&C does not offer full-service.
The best price per gallon of diesel on St. Thomas was $4.55 at Smith Bay Texaco. On St. John the best bargain on diesel fuel was at Domino Oil which sold a gallon for $4.60.
Licensing Commissioner Kenrick Robertson said in the prepared statement Wednesday his department is also enforcing compliance of recently issued orders which requires gas station operators to notify Licensing of any price increase.

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