SPOKANE, Wash. — If a busy summer schedule has you filling up at the gas pump a little more often lately, you might have noticed the price to fill your tank rising from week to week.
Gas prices have climbed nearly 10 cents per gallon in Idaho and Washington over the past week.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Idaho reached $3.36, while Spokane drivers are paying an average of $3.95 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data.
Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said oil prices are fluctuating based on the situation in the Middle East, though social media has spread misleading information about the potential price spikes.
“Oil prices will continue to move depending on the actions of what happened in the Middle East,” DeHaan said. “If there’s a slight shift in the risk calculus, that could send oil up. If there are de-escalations, that can send oil back lower again.”
Beyond geopolitical factors, local gas station owners said seasonal patterns also typically drive summer price increases.
“People are going to get on the road, they’re going to travel, they’re going to take their kids here and there. So yes, there are going to be more people coming in,” said Avtar Brar, a gas station owner in Spokane. “We get prices every day. We would never know what it is going to be tomorrow.”
Washington drivers will face even higher price increases starting July 1, when a new 6-cent per gallon tax takes effect as part of a new transportation package in the Washington state budget.
This comes on top of the state’s already existing carbon tax, which increased roughly 6 cents per gallon in March. Washington currently has the third-highest gas tax in the United States.
The tax increases have prompted some drivers to reconsider their fueling habits and timing.
TS Pearson, who lives in Spokane, said drivers are adapting by seeking the best deals available.
“No matter what, we’ll find the best prices of gas any way we can. If it’s gas points or if it’s some kind of membership,” Pearson said. “Every little bit counts.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding future prices, Pearson said there is almost no way around it.
“I feel a lot of uncertainty about it, but I also feel no matter what we’re going to come to the pump. We need gas, we’ve got places to be,” Pearson said.
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