The pain of $4-a-gallon gas is spreading
This tipping point is already hitting the country's most populated areas. As gas prices surge, some consumers may cut spending in other areas.
A tipping point has hit some of the country's most populated areas: the $4 gallon of gas, which is digging into the pocketbooks of consumers in New York, California and Washington, D.C., according to the Automobile Association of America.
While painful for consumers, high gas prices may also spell trouble for the still-recovering economy. At $4 per gallon and higher, almost one-third of consumers say they're forced to make "significant cutbacks" in spending, according to a 2012 Gallup poll.
February's price jump has been unusual, given that drivers typically take to the roads less in winter, leading to lower demand for gas. But refinery shutdowns have resulted in tighter supply, which is driving up prices.
Unfortunately for consumers, it's likely that more parts of the country will soon feel the $4 pain, despite a break in the rising streak.
That's because fuel prices typically rise in March and April, as weather improves and drivers take to the road again. Peak prices this spring might approach the highs seen in 2011 and 2012, AAA noted in a Feb. 19 blog post.
The worst-hit cities are in California, with Santa Barbara residents paying the highest prices in the country: $4.36 for a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. Other hard-hit towns include Honolulu, where a gallon costs $4.27, and New York City, where drivers pay $4.06.
The higher costs are taking their toll on consumers, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), which represents the convenience and fuel retailing industry.
Almost one-quarter of consumers who buy gas are "very pessimistic" about the economy, up from 18% in January, when fuel prices started climbing, according to the NACS Consumer Fuels Survey.
"[C]onsumers are feeling the pain from higher gas prices and this is affecting their feelings about the economy in general," said John Eichberger, NACS vice president of government relations, in a statement. "Worse, consumers see no end in sight, with 62% saying that they expect prices to be even higher in the coming weeks."
THANX TO OBAMA, LIBERALS AND THEIR STUPID FAILED GREEN ENERGY CRAP! F JIMMY CARTER TOO! EPA IS NOTHING BUT
A LIBERAL SOCIALIST NAZI GROUP PUT TOGETHER TO SHUT DOWN CHEAP ENERGY! FUNNY NOW AFTER THE ELECTION
THE LIBERAL MEDIA WANTS TO START TALKING ABOUT HIGH GAS AND ENERGY PRICES? WHAT ABOUT FOOD PRICES?
OK, Here we go again, Gas over $4.00 a gallon,Is anyone in Washington awake??Do any of you really care?
I love how our elected officials hide behind the "free market" argument.... Lets all watch our "free market" economy fall on its face because Washington refuses to tell the oil companies to play fair.Maybe all you folks in washington need a hint, High fuel costs mean all us little people who work for a living have to use our "spendable cash" on fuel to stay warm and drive our cars to work, spending all my "play money" to stay warm means I have to STAY HOME instead of shop at the mall, which means the mall merchants make less, and I dont stop at Mc Donalds, so they dont hire anyone, Are you Washington folks Following me here????
It's sad that at the beginning of Bush Jr's first term you could still get gas for 99 cents a gallon at racetrac. In less than three years we were at 3x's that.
As a returning student, this really sucks. It definitely hurts the lowest income levels the most, eating into essential budget expenditures.
United States government is getting a cut and this is why they ignore it. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. As usual the public takes it on the chin. The economy sucks, jobs suck and as long as OPEC and the US have this agreement, than the american public will continue to pay for the poor decision our government has made over the years.
Get rid of international trade and OPEC, create millions of jobs by drilling for our oil oil, gas etc...manufacturing for all items we buy within the US borders.
We build for and we provide for our own! Each country can take care of their own!
Well,we are fracking oil and gas all over the country like the republicans wanted we are building the Canadian pipeline still no relief,we aren't going to increase the minimum wage, I suspect. There aren't any major fires no shortage on supply,Oh there changing from summer to winter blend must be it,,,,,,,,,
Over the past couple of decades Americans have become spoiled with all their vanities, hoarding, and self indulged interests. American's can talk the talk and complain about gas prices, but instead of doing something about it while the oil companiesexecutes cut themselves in for bigger pay raises and buy outs, lear jets, mansions less affordable Americans do nothing about it! And lets not forget the automakers who since the 60's had engine concepts that could get 60 plus miles a gallon if they weren't in bed with the other side of the triange the gas companies and politicians who want to get elected, re-elected and do the same with all their money as the oil executives. When is middle and lower class America going to wake up and fight back. Stop taking vacations for a year except within close proxmity to home and picket the gas stations selling gas 10 cents more a gallon than the gas station down the street. Vote the President out that ignores the problem along with the other politicians. AND IF NOT I HAVE THE CURE FOR ALL THOSE AMERICANS WHO WANT TO DO NOTHING. RAISE THE COST OF A GALLON OF GAS TO $10.00 A GALLON OR MORE AND MAYBE THESE AMERICANS WILL GET OFF THEIR BUTTS AND FIGHT BACK. IT'S THE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASS THAN OWNS AMERICA. BY THE WAY I AM AN AMERICAN WHO IS FED UP, BUT CAN'T GET ANYONE WHO GIVE A DAMM TO FIGHT.
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