Looking for cheap gas? Rockford-area residents share some of their go-to places
ROCKFORD — The notion that five-dollar-a-gallon gasoline could be called a bargain would have been ludicrous a few months ago, but here we are.
A steady stream of customers drove to Woodman’s Gas & Lube, 3205 McFarland Rd., on Wednesday to take advantage of the comparative low price of $4.99 a gallon.
“I’m glad I’m retired,” said Peggy Jones, of Rockford, as she gassed up her Toyota RAV4. “I feel sorry for people who have to drive to and from work every day. Being retired, it’s a little easier on the gas.”
Mike Wallin, of Rockford, filled the tank of his 2001 Saturn at an adjacent pump.
“It gets 26 to 28 miles to the gallon,” Wallin said. “It’s good but not great. At $4.99 a gallon, this is about the cheapest I’ve seen around town. The BP at Fairview and State was selling gas at $4.95 yesterday.”
Six other gas stations within a two mile radius of Woodman’s were selling regular grade gasoline from $5.29 to $5.39 a gallon as of Wednesday.
Illinois gas prices: What goes up is still going up
Gas prices in Rockford soared 33 cents a gallon in the past week to an average of $5.20, according to GasBuddy. That’s 75 cents higher than a month ago and more than $2 higher than prices a year ago.
The Walmart in Roscoe was selling gas for $4.94 a gallon as of Wednesday, according to GasBuddy while gas was selling for $4.99 a gallon at the Mobil, 196 S. Winnebago Rd., in Winnebago, and Road Ranger, 4980 S. Main St., in Rockford.
Deb Farmer, of Belvidere, stopped at Woodman’s Wednesday to gas up her Nissan Sentra after a trip to the grocery store.
“You have to sometimes take from Peter to pay Paul while budgeting,” Farmer said. “It’s been hard.”
Business at Woodman’s Gas & Lube is brisk because of the store’s prices, according to cashier Rene Heitz, who has worked at the station for 20 years.
“Some customers are really irate about the price of gas,” Heitz said. “But, most people just go about their business. I’ve heard people speculate that prices are going to go to $6 a gallon within a month. Isn’t that crazy?”
In March, two Wisconsin gas stations sued Woodman’s in Waukesha under the state’s Unfair Sales Act, which prohibits selling goods below cost.
“Woodman’s is in full compliance with its Waukesha store gas pricing and believes this lawsuit is without merit,” Woodman’s legal team said in a statement to WISN-TV in Milwaukee.
More local: Rockford area gas prices up by 42 cents a gallon in 1 week
Ken DeCoster: kdecoster@rrstar.com; @DeCosterKen
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford-area drivers search for gas bargains as prices rise
