All Right, Don’t Boycott Mobil Any Longer

In this space just about seven weeks ago, I recommended that Fairfield motorists boycott the three Mobil stations in town because their prices were consistently higher – and consistently more infuriating – than virtually all of their competitors.

“If Exxon/Mobil sees its gasoline sales plummet,” I wrote, “this Big Oil conglomerate will be forced to lower its prices so that it can compete with CITGO, Gulf and Shell as well as the local independents.”

Perhaps enough of us stayed away this spring, because in the past couple of weeks Mobil’s in-town prices have dipped and are now on par with everyone else (except for three holdouts) in Fairfield. If you’re willing to pay cash at the pump, Mobil’s per-gallon price for regular, as of June 8, was $4.06 at all three Fairfield locales – 2093 Post Road, 2120 Black Rock Turnpike and 1271 Stratfield Road.

Now, I’m not yet ready to stand up and applaud, because prices across most of Fairfield County still remain higher than in other areas of Connecticut. But at least Mobil has taken a positive step locally.

At 17 of the 20 stations in town, the per-gallon price ranges from $4.05  to $4.09 (see chart below.) By comparison, the two stations closest to the Merritt Parkway, Gulf on Black Rock Turnpike and Sunoco on Easton Turnpike, seem out of touch. Each is offering regular for $4.19 per gallon – or 14 cents more than the five lowest at $4.05. Why?

The biggest offender, though, remains the garage with the Sunoco pumps on Bronson Road, in the heart of Greenfield Hill. It was selling regular – but probably not a lot – for a whopping $4.49 per gallon on June 8. Yes, many of the folks in this district are less troubled by the economic downturn than the rest of us, but that’s still no excuse for Sunoco’s rip-off price of $4.49. Be fair. Adjust that price downward.

As we’ve pointed out on more than one occasion, Fairfield County motorists pay higher prices than their brethren elsewhere in the Nutmeg State because of zone pricing. This dastardly practice won’t cease until the state legislature (Senate and House) votes to end it.

Check GasBuddy.com and see for yourself.  In the Hartford area, no fewer than seven stations were offering regular in the $3.72-$3.79 range, and several others were in the low $3.80s. Prices were slightly higher in the Waterbury, New Haven and New London areas, but many stations in those locales were selling regular in the $3.79-$3.89 range.

Oh, the national average on June 8 was $3.74 per gallon, while the average gallon of gas in Connecticut was selling for $4.028 – nearly 30 cents higher.

If you’re tired of paying inflated gas prices, contact your state legislators and ask them to take the necessary steps to end zone pricing. Their names and contact information:

                        Sen. John McKinney, R-28; john.mckinney@cga.ct.gov
                        Rep. Brenda Kupchick, R-132; brenda.kupchick@housegop.ct.gov
                        Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-133; kfawcett@optonline.net
                        Rep. Tony Hwang, R-134; tony@tonyhwang.com

If they were to combine their efforts with their Fairfield County colleagues and other state legislators who know that zone pricing is unfair, good things will happen.

Make it happen.

Here are the local per-gallon prices for regular as of June 8 (as compared to the considerably lower prices from our March 16 survey in parentheses):

CENTER OF TOWN:
$4.06  CITGO, 1096 Post Road ($3.71)
$4.06  Gulf, 1101 Post Road ($3.71)
$4.06  CITGO, 2047 Post Road ($3.73)
$4.06  *Mobil, 2093 Post Road ($3.79)
$4.06  Urby’s, 831 Post Road ($3.79)
$4.06  Sunoco, 654 Post Road ($3.75)
$4.09  Shell, 1139 Post Road ($3.71)
BLACK ROCK TURNPIKE:
$4.05  * Irving, 2405 Black Rock Tpke. ($3.65)
$4.05  *Mobil, 2120 Black Rock Tpke. ($3.79)
$4.05  * Shell, 2424 Black Rock Tpke. ($3.65)
$4.05  * Star, 350 Jennings Road/Black Rock Tpke. ($3.65)
$4.06  CITGO, 2515 Black Rock Tpke. ($3.71)
$4.19  Gulf, 3617 Black Rock Tpke. ($3.79)
GRASMERE:
$4.06  Gulf, 975 Kings Highway E. ($3.69)
$4.08  Santa, 550 Commerce Dr. ($3.75)
$4.09  *Sunoco, 500 Grasmere Ave. ($3.71)
SOUTHPORT/GREENFIELD HILL:
$4.07  Shell, 3232 Post Road ($3.65)
$4.49  Sunoco, Bronson Road ($3.99)
STRATFIELD:
$4.05  *Mobil, 1271 Stratfield Road ($3.79)
$4.19  Sunoco, 2629 Easton Tpke. ($3.89)

* Prices are for cash only. For credit, the per-gallon price jumps to $4.21 at Star, $4.16 at Mobil, 2093 Post Road, and $4.15 at the other stations with asterisks.