With gas prices hitting an all-time record high, Triple A Texas says that 3.2 million Texans will travel this Memorial Day Weekend. 2.8 million will travel by automobile which is up 5 percent from 2021, but down 7% from 2019.
Daniel Armbruster is with Triple A Texas, and he says the average price for gas in the state is $4.29 per gallon.
“When you break down a gallon of gasoline, half of that cost is the cost of crude oil, and so, if crude oil remains above $100 a barrel, we’re going to continue to see gas prices that are much more expensive than what we have been used to over the past few years.”
Armbruster says that even though gas prices are higher, there has not been a decrease in demand.
“And that’s likely because over the last two years many people haven’t been travelling as much, or maybe not travelling at all, and so they are saving money in that aspect. And we’re seeing a lot of people taking bucket list trips this year.”
According to the website, GasBuddy, the average price in Waco is $4.24 a gallon, with some places charging as much as $4.39 per gallon.
Hailey Alvarado is a server at a Waco restaurant and drives in from Riesel every day. She says the higher gas prices have had an effect on her routine.
“I still just put in $25 a day, but I have to do it pretty much every day now.”
Alvarado says that a few months ago that would last for about three days of driving.
“Oh yeah, we stay at home a lot more than we used to. We used to come to Waco after work a lot, now we just on the weekends.”
Armbruster says that drivers in Amarillo are paying the least amount for gas, where drivers in El Paso are paying the most. And even though Texas has the ability to pump a lot of crude oil, it doesn’t necessarily mean we will have cheaper prices.
“It’s more about global supply because it’s a globally traded commodity and the price is set on a global level. So even if you have supply of crude close to home, here in Texas, that doesn’t necessarily mean that supply would stay in Texas.”
Armbruster says that the best thing you can do right now is to make sure that your car is well maintained, and not drive aggressively, as well as,
“Healthy tires are essential to maximizing your fuel economy.”
You can check the current gas prices at http://wacogasprices.com.