- April 28, 2024
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It used to be consistently the most expensive place to get gas in Flagler County, but, thanks to a change in how it buys the gas, it’s now one of the cheapest. A gallon of regular unleaded on Jan. 22 was $1.89 at “Interstate 100,” a station just west of Interstate 95 on State Road 100.
“I think they eliminated all the middle men and they buy direct from the oil company,” said Manager Bassam Stephanos. A year ago, the station was contracted with BP, but now the owners buy Chevron, BP, or “whatever is cheapest,” Stephanos said. “They look at the market every day.”
That’s a rare arrangement in Flagler County, he said. Most stations have a contract with one provider and are locked in to a price even if it ends up being more expensive than the gas of a competitor across the street.
“It's like any kind of product,” Stephanos said. “You eliminate the middle man, you get a cheaper product. That's it.”
That might explain why Interstate 100 has inexpensive gas (RaceTrac on Florida Park Drive is also at $1.89, while several others are $1.90 or $1.91, according to gasbuddy.com). But why are some gas stations in Jacksonville at $1.64, and we’re paying a quarter more?
The answer is simple and will disappoint conspiracy theorists: Stephanos said what city officials have said in the past, which is that the gas is transported from Jacksonville to Palm Coast. The markup is due to the cost of transportation.
“If it costs … more to deliver, they will add it to the price,” he said. “It gets passed on to the consumer.”
Included in the cost of gas are several fees and other taxes, which vary by county. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, total taxes range from as low as $.28525 in Franklin County (the state minimum) to as high as $.36725 in 23 counties.
