Although the country's economic situation remains critical, users can see circumstances improve, at least in one place - the gas station.
During the summer of 2008 in Illinois at an average price of gasoline have more than $ 4 per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration website, and the average price for gasoline in the West was listed as $ 2.43 on July 13. For assistance from a number of factors, said Daniel Primont, professor of economic faculty at SIUC.
"This summer, more typical, he said." Last summer was typical. This is not to say: "Why is it lower than this summer?" But rather to say: "Why is it higher than last summer?" Primont said.
He said that he thought it was at least three reasons why gas prices rose so high last year.
First, people with an interest in the oil business, or speculators affect the price of gasoline from their projections, he said.
He said that the price of gasoline is a reflection of the economic downturn.
For example, he said that if the person in possession of oil is of the opinion that the price of petrol will rise in the future, he can take it out of the market until the price increases, which is actually the cause of rising prices, the situation is closer to the last year the .
Right now, because speculators are predicting less demand for oil, they also predict a lower price.
Second, to explain the results Primont Philip K. Verleger, a prime economic consultants, is the shortage in the supply of sweet crude oil, which is used to produce gasoline.
The Ministry of Energy of the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve "the largest state of emergency stockpile of crude oil in the world," according to the DOE website.
"Last summer, the reserve was exhausted, and they would like to build it right up to the top", Primont the DOE said the desire to retain an emergency supply of sweet crude oil as a national defense measure. The result was less gasoline available to the public.
A third reason for the higher prices in the past year, Primont said, had to do with the return of the big storms, like Hurricane Katrina, which damaged oil refineries that turn oil into gasoline.
In any case, observers see little change in how people buy gas.
Annie Gimse, who worked at the Hucks for two years as a cashier, said she did not notice big changes in the consumption of gasoline since last summer to summer.
In Hucks at 1900 S. Illinois Avenue were selling gasoline at $ 2.46 per gallon Monday.
Gimse said she shutila about getting his bike last year, but in fact has never been fulfilled.
"People still have to go to school and work," she said.
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