The price of gas is very high for everyone who drives in and around Philadelphia, South Jersey, and Delaware.
Brittaney White from Delaware said, “Oh my God, they are crazy.”
AAA says that the average price of regular gas in Pennsylvania was $3.59 per gallon a month ago. It’s now $3.75, which is 16 cents more.
“They are crazy, pretty high. They used to be a lot cheaper, but I can’t do much about it,” Pennsylvanian Dillon Harding said.
In Delaware, it went up 17 cents, from $3.29 to $3.46.
“$3.00, $3.19 was kind of reasonable, now it’s just getting out of hand, it seems like once it’s getting warm outside the prices went up sky high,” White said.
AAA says that there are three main reasons for the rise in gas prices: rising tensions in the Middle East and other parts of the world; the biggest reason that the mix of gas is changing from a winter blend to a summer blend, and the demand for gas is rising.
“That switchover to summer blended gasoline is mandated by the EPA, the reason being, this blend, which is more expensive to produce, helps cut down on what we used to call smog, that damaging exhaust fumes that go into the air, damage the ozone layer,” Jana Tidwell, of AAA Public Affairs, said.
AAA officials say that this change and rise in the mix happens every year and should go down as summer approaches.
“Gas prices are outrageous right now, it’s like, we are getting killed at the pump, I already got to pay insurance, it’s like when do I get a break on this thing,” said Eric Pratt, from NJ.
Pratt won’t be getting a break at the gas pump for now, not even in his home state of New Jersey, where many tourists go to find cheaper gas.
“You’re breaking even coming over here trying to get gas now but maybe to tell you the truth, I just got back from LA, gas prices are pretty okay here,” Pratt said.
If you want to save gas, AAA says to empty out your trunk because a lighter car uses less gas. They also tell drivers to stick to the speed limit.
