SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Anyone filling up their gas tank in the past week or so has noticed that prices keep going up.
“I think we here in Georgia have hit a sticker shock when it comes to gas prices,” said Montrae Waiters from AAA The Auto Club Group.
“The average for Georgia has increased another penny today,” she added.
Waiters says statewide, prices have increased 10 cents in the last week. In Savannah, the average price is now $3.30 a gallon — up five cents in the last week.
Waiter says the price hike is because of high crude oil prices which are now $84 a barrel. She says high crude is now coupled with more demand because more people are getting out and driving, despite the pandemic.
Traditionally, prices go down in the fall when cheaper winter blends are used for gasoline. But Waiters says that hasn’t happened this year.
“Everything is open now, so folks are eager to get out and start preparing for the holidays,” she explained, “so that’s going to contribute as well to gas prices increasing.”
AAA says the price of gas in Georgia is $1.15 more than this time last year and it now costs a motorist more than $10 more to fill up a 15-gallon tank.
Most expensive Georgia metro markets (according to AAA):
- Savannah ($3.30)
- Hinesville-Fort Stewart ($3.21)
- Macon ($3.15)
Least expensive Georgia metro markets:
- Catoosa-Dade-Walker ($3.08)
- Augusta-Aiken ($3.09)
- Albany ($3.10)
Waiters says AAA recommends that you “know before you go.”
“It’s good to check your route that you will be driving on a holiday trip, for example, and see what the gas prices are because that is going to be an item you will need to budget for,” she said.
Waiters says, unfortunately, AAA doesn’t know when motorists will see any relief.
She does say there appears to be plenty of supply and that all refineries are running. Waiters adds people should not try to hoard gas because that will only cause supply problems.
