See gas is sneaking up some more locally with regular flirting with $2.00 a gallon for the first time in several months.

Express Mart in Floyd lists unleaded regular at $1.99.9 a gallon.  Exxon was 2 cents cheaper.  Some other stations are down as low as $1.95 a gallon.

The Kroger Station right across the New River from Radford listed premium at $1.89 over the weekend.  Better news for those of us who use premium in our motorcycles was the per gallon price there of $2.09 (before the 3 cent discount).

While regular gas prices in and around Floyd often compare favorably with Roanoke, Christianburg or other area locations, I find premium gas prices in Floyd to be far higher than other stations, even national spots like Exxon.

The Exxon in Floyd wants over $2.50 a gallon for premium.  Exxon stations in Roanoke and Christiansburg charge about 25 cents a gallon less.

I still occasionally find a gas station where the mid-range fuel is 10 cents a gallon higher than regular and premium is 20 cents more.  Not many, though.  Premium appears to be a place for profit.

As noted, many motorcycles require premium gas because of higher compression ratios and tuning.  So do some cars, like Amy’s Mini Cooper S.  She can spend up to $10 less for a fill-up at Kroger in Christiansburg or elsewhere.

So much for buying local.  While neither or us drive to another town or city just to save a few cents per gallon on gas, we do stop when we are in Roanoke or Christiansburg for other reasons.

I found premium gas for $2.15 a gallon at a Kroger near Moneta at Smith Mountain Lake Sunday.  That’s less than 45 cents a gallon cheaper than premium at Floyd’s Exxon.

Another issue is the much higher prices charged in the area for regular gas that does not contain Ethanol, the gas additive that causes problems in many cars. Some stations charges up to 50 cents more for the non-Ethanol gas in and around Floyd but I can buy non-Ethanol regular in other areas for just about the same price as regular with the problem additive.

Some gas station operators say it costs more to obtain regular gas without Ethanol.  Other say it costs a little more but add that they don’t mark it up as much as some.

We try to use Ethanol-free regular gas in our lawn equipment.  We find water in our lawnmower, for example, if we use gas with the ingredient.

Non-Ethanol gas is available mostly in areas where cars do not require annual emission inspections.  That is a loophole that the Environmental Protection Agency will most likely close in the near future.

We use the Virginia Gas Buddy web site to check gas prices when we need to be in another area and might need to fill the tank.

According to the site, a Speedway on Orange Avenue in Roanoke this Monday morning offers premium at $2.09.  So does a Kroger Store on Valley Gateway Boulevard.  That makes it $2.06 with discount so I will probably the Kroger pumps while in the city on a project Monday afternoon.

Need regular gas?  Try Sam’s Club at 1255 Town Square Boulevard in Roanoke.  It is costing $1.81 a gallon.