ANSWER: Let us know if you are contacted by someone who does this type of work. Good luck with your project!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: On July 24, 2015, wholesale oil was $1.655 per gallon and gas was $1.852 per gallon. The retail price that day was $2.689 for gas and $1.899 for oil. Could Sun Spots find out why gas is so expensive compared to heating oil? Thank you. — Michael D. in Lewiston.

ANSWER: National Geographic has information that puts your question in perspective: “U.S. gas prices will average $2.45 a gallon this summer—a 31 percent drop from last year’s $3.59 average, according to a forecast by the Energy Information Administration or EIA. As the main component of auto fuel, crude oil accounts for 46 percent of American gas prices, according to the EIA. The rest comes from taxes and the costs of refining the product and bringing it to market.

“U.S. crude oil prices are currently about $60 a barrel, nearly half what they were last year. Prices for both crude oil and auto fuel are based on supply and demand,and the dramatic increase in U.S. oil production has led to an oversupplied market. … International events such as unrest in the Middle East, which can cause uncertainty about supply and drive prices up, also exert an influence.

“Other factors that decide gasoline prices include taxes (the American Petroleum Institute has a state-by-state map here), refinery issues, and regional variations—the U.S. Gulf Coast, for example, is close to both oil production and refineries, so it tends to have lower prices than the rest of the country.

“North American gas prices also follow seasonal fluctuations. Prices tend to be highest in the spring … because that’s when many U.S. refineries go offline for maintenance. Then prices stay elevated through the summer as more people take to the road, driving up demand for fuel.

“The summer blend of fuel, too, costs more to produce: Required by law in both the U.S. and Canada to keep emissions in check, it contains less of the ‘fillers’ that can evaporate in warm temperatures. Its higher energy density means you’ll get slightly better mileage for your buck. In the U.S., ample refining and pipeline capacity help keep prices down.”

Visit www.eia.gov for more information on energy topics.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: My relatives came to visit and one of the places we dined at was Luiggi’s. They loved the Fergy sandwiches. Can you get the recipe? Thanks. — Fergy Lovers, Lewiston.

ANSWER: The owners of the Lewiston restaurant shared this recipe with the Sun Journal a few years ago. Enjoy!

The famous Luiggi’s Fergy

Ingredients:

2 slices Italian bread

Mayonnaise

6 to 10 pieces of chopped onion

1 slice of ham

American cheese

2 to 3 slices of tomato

Lettuce

Directions:

Spread mayonnaise on one both slices of Italian bread. Top one slice with the following: Onion, ham, cheese, tomato and lettuce. Top with desired salt/pepper and the other slice of bread.

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