Gas retailers face slow July Fourth

He does this every day, all day to make sure what he’s charging per gallon at Bursaw Gas & Oil in Acton not only stays competitive with, but is cheaper than, prices at the Mobil station down the street. In a span of 75 minutes on a recent day, the market swung up 5 cents and down 2.

“You can get up, go get a cup of water and everything is different,’’ Bursaw explains of his steady monitoring.

His vigilance aside, this summer is much calmer than the last. A year ago, cars and trucks snaked across the long lot at Bursaw’s station and onto Great Road, waiting for a fill-up. It was chaos as cost-conscious drivers prepared for that now-infamous Fourth of July weekend when crude hit an unprecedented $145.29 a barrel - eventually forcing gas prices past $4 a gallon.

This week Bursaw is selling gas at about $2.50 a gallon for regular unleaded. And, unlike last summer when he had to adjust his prices several times a day, Bursaw is changing signs only once or twice a week. He’s already at least a dime below the Mobil station down the road.

That doesn’t mean business is great, however. The recession and rising gas prices have kept people off the roads and close to home, according to AAA. Add to that a slew of gray, rainy days, and Bursaw’s business is slower than usual in the period leading up to the Fourth of July, which AAA considers the busiest driving time of the year.

The auto association expects only 2.1 million New Englanders to take a road trip this holiday, down 4.3 percent from 2008.

Bursaw, whose great-grandfather opened the gas station in 1915, says he’s already noticing the drop off.

“Usually before a holiday there’s a line all day long, for like two days,’’ Bursaw says, as he pumps gas for a handful of cars lined up at his station around lunchtime on Wednesday.

Those stopping by on this day say they’re here to fill up for the drive to work, or to run some errands. Few are preparing to travel this Fourth.

Dottie Gauthier, 68, is hosting a barbecue. John Curran, 39, also has no plans to travel. Neither does Arthur Trainor, 30.

Only Tia Beaudoin says she has plans to get out of town. The 28-year-old rolls up to a pump in her silver Toyota sport utility vehicle, nodding with a smile at Bursaw.

“I’m going to the Cape tomorrow,’’ she tells him as she waits for her fill-up. “I hope the weather changes.’’

The expected drop in travel worries some in the service station industry, which was hard hit last year when high gas prices meant many struggled to turn a profit.

Matt LeLacheur, a spokesman for the New England Service Station and Automotive Repair Association, said gas use in Massachusetts was down in the first quarter of the year - 19.9 million fewer gallons were sold - and the trend is expected to continue.

“Summer should be the time when you’re hopefully making your strongest margins and moving the most volume,’’ LeLacheur said.

Still, not all is gloom, according to oil analyst Phil Flynn with PFGBest Research in Chicago.

Flynn thinks gasoline prices have peaked for the year, partially because the economy has put a damper on everything. Last week, Flynn said, he saw gas prices go as high as he thinks they’ll get in the near future: $2.65 a gallon. Meanwhile, yesterday, the price of crude oil dropped more than $2 on the Mercantile Exchange, to $66.73, the lowest closing since early June.

“Consumers are losing hope, and that’s leading people to speculate that they’re probably not going to travel during the holiday weekend,’’ he explained. “My feeling is that $2.65 is probably going to be the high for this year, barring a hurricane or natural disaster.’’

Bursaw isn’t sure what will happen. For now, he says, he’ll continue to check the live feed in his office, waiting for the market to tell him what to do so that he can keep offering his customers a deal on gas.

“It really just seems like the economy started faltering when petroleum did. It just really rattled people, and I’m not sure the economy has gotten over it yet. It kicked the crap out of everybody,’’ he said, adding that he hopes prices stay reasonable. “Four bucks was unrealistic - $2.50 makes the most sense.’’

Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.