NORTHEAST, WI – Even though there is not as much travel going on at the current time, if you traveled the state, you would notice a large range of gas prices in the area.
Gas prices at the pump statewide are ranging between $.97 cents a gallon to $1.62 a gallon in Wisconsin on Friday.
Stations in Wautoma are reporting gas prices at less than a dollar.
Some places, including many gas stations in Northeast Wisconsin are showing prices closer to $1.93 a gallon for regular unleaded.
“This is a rare situation and as a consumer we have choice. Wholesale gasoline prices have collapsed in the last couple of weeks as a result of demand because people are staying home, everyone is on lockdown.”
Patrick DeHaan of Gasbuddy.com told WTCH that it has to do with competition.
“We tend to see that competition tends to lower prices in time. The significant drop in wholesale prices has given a wide latitude to stations to keep their prices the same, to lower it a penny a day or twenty cents a day, whatever they want.”
The Coronavirus pandemic has led to less travel and DeHaan says that it comes at a bad time for retailers.
“This is typically the time of year that retailers move out that winter gasoline ahead of the switch over to summer gasoline, but with many of us staying parked, that purging has kind of run amuck.”
He says many states have issued waivers to allow that winter gasoline to be sold later in the year, but eventually, they will all make that switch to summer gasoline.
“Those stations may be sitting on gas that they bought earlier at much higher prices so they may not want to lower their prices that quick.”
He says the higher populated areas are able to sell through their gas supply quicker so they would have the ability to lower their prices sooner than others that can’t.
Patrick DeHaan of Gasbuddy.com addressing the range of gas prices on Jay VanStiphout’s WTCH Midday Show
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