If you’re thinking about adjusting your summer travel plans, you’re not alone.
Gas prices cracked the $4 per gallon barrier this week and now run as high as $4.19 a gallon. That’s still below the national average of around $4.50 a gallon, but both the local and national numbers are way up from where they were when the US war with Iran started 10 weeks ago. And with the war showing no end in sight, there’s a good chance gas prices generally go up before they come down.
On KVOE’s Morning Show this week, Kansas AAA Manager of Public and Government Affairs Shawn Steward says the markets are unsettled because the Middle East is unsettled.
Steward says there are other factors pushing up gas prices at this time of year.
While the current prices are high, they aren’t to 2022 levels, when Kansas averaged $4.67 a gallon at one point and national gas prices went over $5 a gallon. Having said that, Steward says there will still be a robust travel season the next few months — although it may not look like original plans.
Steward says people can take some small steps to help save some money at the pump.
There’s no relief with diesel prices, which have gone to around $5.70 a gallon. Steward says elevated diesel prices will lead to higher grocery prices eventually, simply because of how much ag transport is connected to the trucking business.
