Commute for Cheaper Gas By Stephanie Sobic KMID ABC 2 News Is the commute worth it if the gas is cheaper? A gas station in Andrews offers gas for about 14 cents cheaper than gas stations in Midland. In terms of your pocketbook, is it a good deal to drive the next town over? It’s time to get out your calculator or find a UTPB professor to do the math.
At one gas station in Midland, is $3.63, which is more expensive then gas at an Andrews gas station which is about 40 miles away. Is the commute worth it? "They can buy it there and then drive back, so the question is, is this cost efficient," say UTPB mathematician, Dr. Paul Feit. Class was now in session for KMID. Dr. Feit was ready to solve the problem. "In going to Andrews and buying, the $3.49, the cost per gallon and let x stand for how many gallons to fill, of course in doing it you've used up a little bit of fuel. So, you’re paying for the fuel you've used, the gallons you actually got of course and used up in Midland a little bit more," explains Dr. Feit. The whole equation must be less than $3.63, the price of Midland fuel. Dr. Feit was ready to solve the problem. "Given what I know about car efficiency, this is not going to work. A car with a tank that holds 46 gallons, I don’t think it’s up there with the 50 miles per gallon. This strategy doesn’t make sense," says Dr. Feit. He even took it one step further and explained this: "Until the gap between the two prices widens this isn’t realistic." Dr. Feit says there needs to be at least a 40 cent difference between the two stations for the commute to be a good deal.
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