Gas price disparity raises questions
It costs more to fill up in Buffalo than in New York City. And among those who want to know why are Rep. Brian Higgins and the AAA.
According to daily AAA fuel gauge data, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline in Buffalo is $3.38, compared to Rochester ($3.28), New York City ($3.23) and Long Island ($3.11). The cheapest gas in New York state is in Albany, at $3.00 a gallon.
“The price disparity has been developing in Western New York the last few weeks,” said AAA Spokesman Shaun Seufert, who added the organization has been trying for months to get a definitive answer as to why prices are higher in Western New York. The AAA, he said, has reached out to the American Petroleum Institute, the state Attorney General’s Office and others to find out why.
“We’ve been quite unsuccessful,” he said, adding the best answer they’ve heard to date is hopefully, this is an anomaly, and it will work itself out over the next few weeks.
It appears prices in Buffalo are also among the highest among metropolitan areas in the continental U http://payday-4all.com.S. The AAA reports in San Francisco the price of a gallon of unleaded fuel is $3.52 per gallon and $3.46 in San Jose, the only markets with higher gas costs than Buffalo.
Coincidentally, Higgins sent a letter on Tuesday to the Federal Trade Commission chairman William Kovacic, asking the same question.
“I want to get good hard facts and take immediate action,” said Higgins, adding taxes and the price of a barrel of oil should affect everyone similarly, so he wants to find out why prices are higher in Western New York.
Higgins asks the FTC to investigate theories on possible causes concerning the relative distance to oil refineries, differing local taxes and fees, and the level of local retail competition.
“An investigation will help inform my colleagues and me of the best course of action to take to address gas prices and ensure Western New Yorkers are getting a fair deal,” Higgins said.
Filed under: money by Guru