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You may have already noticed that you spend more to fill your car’s gas tank.
Don’t be surprised if the price keeps rising.
According to GasBuddy, the national average cost of a gallon of gas has risen about 18 cents in the past two weeks, due to reduced oil refining capacity during the extreme cold in Texas, according to GasBuddy. Now, a large taxpayer will increase demand between lower oil production and high crude oil prices, which account for more than half the price of gas.
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The current national average for a regular gallon of lead is $ 2.74. That’s $ 1 more than the $ 1.74 recorded in April 2020, when the pandemic first took hold and demand plummeted, according to GasBuddy data. The states with the lowest average prices include Mississippi ($ 2.35), Louisiana ($ 2.37) and Texas ($ 2.39), while those with the highest averages are California (3.67). Hawaii ($ 3.41) and Washington ($ 3.08).
The cost per gallon also tends to increase in the spring as demand increases and stations switch to cleaner, greener gas for the summer.
There are ways to save money on gasoline, beyond observing the speed limit and avoiding aggressive driving, which can translate into hundreds of dollars a year.
To get started, shop around. Depending on where you live, there can be big price changes between gas stations. And even if the price difference per gallon can only be a few cents, it still adds up.
“There are too many motorists who get to the nearest bomb and end up paying too much,” said Patrick De Haan, head of oil analysis at GasBuddy.
There can also be strong price differences from one state to another. For example, a gas station in Arizona costs $ 1 less than a competitor on the California state line, De Haan said. (The California tax applied per gallon is 82 cents and Arizona is 37 cents).
In addition, there are apps (including GasBuddy, Gas Guru and AAA TripTik) that you can use to find the best prices along your route.
It is also worth examining loyalty programs that have many major chains. They are generally free and can offer discounts per gallon, De Haan said.
However, credit cards that offer discounts on gasoline purchases may not be the best option unless you regularly pay your card balance.
“If you don’t pay your bill, you’ll end up giving the bank more money than the discount is worth,” De Haan said. “Cards work if you pay for it, but not if you carry the balance month by month.”