ATLANTA — Gas prices are going up. That started even before the weekend’s attacks on Iran.
But prices here in Georgia are still lower than they were a year ago.
Gas always tends to go up several cents a gallon this time of year as we near July 4.
Haleigh Pepper told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray that she noticed a higher price than just a few days ago when she pulled into a Lawrenceville Highway gas station.
“I’m a mom of three, and yeah, we just … I drive everywhere,” Pepper said. “I had to even cut it off because I was just … it was too much.”
The U.S. attack on targets in Iran sent oil futures higher over the weekend, but Atlanta energy analyst Chris Edmonds said they are already back down.
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“There’s an emotional reaction and then the next step is to think about it and become more rational,” Edmonds said.
Even without instability in the supply, heading into the Fourth of July, holiday gas prices typically go up this time of year as demand increases.
While gas prices in metro Atlanta have gone up about a dime a gallon in just one week, AAA said we are still paying more than $0.30 less a gallon than this time a year ago.
Edmonds projects those prices will drop as the summer goes on.
“It would not surprise me at all if July 4th, or this week, somewhere in these next 10 days, represents the high watermark for gas prices this year,” Edmonds said.
AAA spokesperson Montrae Waiters said that all changes if Iran takes action that limits global oil supply, leaving the Persian Gulf.
“Crude oil accounts for over half of what we pay at the pump, so of course we’re going to make sure that we continue to monitor what’s going on overseas,” Waiters said.
In metro Atlanta, where the average price is $2.97 a gallon, we are still paying a full quarter a gallon less than the national average.
Driver Jamarria Aki told Gray that he price shops, waiting to fill up until he spots the best deal.
“I just try to see where I can find the cheapest gas at,” Aki said.
There’s not much of this you can control, but AAA said one thing you can do is pick a brand, a rewards membership, and join up to get a gas discount so you can save on average several cents a gallon.
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