Carson City gas dives toward bargain bin

Gasoline’s pump price in Nevada dropped 11 cents in the past week, and in Carson City is lower than either the state’s average or the cost in Reno.

It’s a gift that just keeps on giving to residents right now, one that comes at a time when less stress on the pocketbook for fuel provides relief and swells disposable income for holiday shopping. The Nevada drop of more than a dime per gallon was reported Monday by GasBuddy.com, which surveyed 1,130 gas outlets in Nevada for the week through Sunday. Nevadans welcomed the decrease.

“I live in Reno,” said Margaret Flint, who had just purchased petrol for a sports utility vehicle she was driving Monday outside the JM Gasoline and Discount Liquor outlet at North Carson and Park streets. The pump price for regular there was $2.199 per gallon. “I fill up my gas tank down here every week.”

She said she travels to Carson City as she makes a trip from Reno to southern Washoe County to the Canine Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary, so she fills up because it is some 30 cents per gallon less than where she lives.

After filling up on Monday, she said, she was looking for a place in the capital city to lunch with her mother before traveling back to Reno. She said the low price was a great help during this holiday season.

“It gets me out on the road,” she said. “I like to be out.”

GasBuddy reported Nevada’s price on Sunday averaged $2.62 a gallon. The gasoline price-monitoring website said the national average in the same time frame over the previous week had fallen 10.8 cents per gallon, but was lower than Nevada’s statewide level, though still higher than Carson City’s average. Nationally, it was at $2.42 a gallon.

“As Americans take to the road for Christmas travel,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy’s senior petroleum analyst, “they’ve been given a gift that keeps on giving: falling gas prices.”

In Carson City, many gas stations were charging more than JM Gas and Liquor, but some still beat the state or national averages. Just a few blocks south of JM at Carson and William streets, the Chevron station was charging $2.599 and the Arco am-pm station was touting $2.299. But Costco at the city’s south edge on Clear Creek Road, Eagle Gas at 1360 S. Carson St., and Country Store at 3389 U.S. 50 East were all $2.199.

The highest in the GasBuddy survey listed Monday for Carson City during daylight hours was the Shell station, 1600 N. Carson St., at $2.659. For 23 stations listed, however, gas averaged in the range of $2.29 a gallon.