Published: July 23, 2008 11:21 pm         

Gasoline averages $3.80 in Enid

Staying competitive in each particular market is what most likely explains price differences in a gallon of gasoline in different Oklahoma cities, a gas retailer said.

The average cost of a regular gallon of gasoline in Enid Wednesday evening was $3.80. Those in Oklahoma City were paying an average of $3.61 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

The site also reported price per gallon averages of $3.79 in Woodward, $3.81 in central Tulsa and $3.67 in Norman.

OnCue Express CEO Jim Griffith said gas prices are set by the company’s corporate office, which examines each of the markets the company has a presence before it sets a price.

“There are an awful lot of variables that go into setting a price,” he said.

Those variables can include competition within individual markets and costs associated with gasoline and fuels.

“We survey the markets every day and try to stay with the competition,” Griffith said. “We want to stay competitive in every market.”

Another part of the cost associated with a gallon of gasoline is taxes. According to Oklahoma and federal tax agencies, Oklahomans pay 34.4 cents in taxes per gallon of gas at the pumps, with the state getting 16 cents a gallon and the remainder going to the federal government.

Despite disparities in prices between Enid and other cities, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said there has been no change in the number of price complaints reported.

“Complaints have been pretty steady,” Charlie Price said. “I can’t say if we’re receiving any more or fewer.”