Rising temps bring rising gas prices
Drivers should expect costs at the pump to go up about 40 cents a gallon starting in April, AAA survey finds
Drivers should expect costs at the pump to go up about 40 cents a gallon starting in April.
Get ready to dig deeper to go down the shore this summer.
The AAA auto club is projecting gas prices will increase 40 cents a gallon this summer to bump them up to just under $3 a gallon.
Nothing like the record $4.16 a gallon they were in June 2008 but a jump from the $2.50 a gallon range they are now.
“It’s been a while since gas prices have been high enough to make drivers think twice about how far they go or how often they fill up, but this new survey suggests that time is fast approaching,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
During April, drivers across the country will start to see gas prices begin to climb as the industry wraps up spring maintenance and completes the switchover to summer-blend gasoline. AAA said it expects the national average this summer to peak near $2.70 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
“Gas across the country — and here in Pennsylvania — is already running about 30 cents higher than last year. Add another 40 cents and drivers are bound to take notice,” Tidwell said.
AAA’s survey found younger Americans — those 18 to 34 — are more tolerant of higher prices and less likely to change habits compared to those over 35.
“Higher gas prices are already influencing the travel industry,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president of Travel and Publishing. “The good news is people are still planning to hit the road. With nearly 80 percent of family travelers planning a road trip this year, higher gas prices are making shorter trips to national parks and theme parks the most desired travel destinations.”
Gas prices typically go up in the spring and stay there in the summer, Tidwell noted. That’s caused by the industry switching over to their “summer blends” that are more expensive to make and because demand is higher.
Crude has been fairly stable in the $50 a barrel range, Tidewell added. Summer prices typ-
ically fluctuate, depending on whether refining capacity is affected by fire or hurricane, she noted.
Over the years, public opinion for whether a gallon of gasoline is too high or too low has fluctuated as much as the price itself, AAA noted.
When gas prices are above the $3 a gallon benchmark, as they were in 2013 and 2014, Americans believe prices should be 6 percent lower.
When gas prices are below the $3 a gallon benchmark, as they were in 2015 and 2016, Americans believe a 25 percent increase is too high.
The auto club said the report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted among two national probability samples (landline only and cellphone), which, when combined, consist of 1,017 adults.
For more information, visit www.AAA.com.