Dizzying US fuel prices are determined by factors largely outside of a gas station’s control
Gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station, in downtown Los Angeles, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C.
Hong) 2026-04-02T11:01:06Z DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The near-daily changes in U.S. gas prices are dizzying for drivers, who are left feeling frustrated and cash-strapped by the highest fuel costs since 2022.
With the Iran war pushing up prices worldwide , the U.S. average for a gallon of gas topped $4 on Tuesday , according to AAA.
Prices can change from one day to the next or from one nearby station to another, forcing drivers in the U.S. to game out the right moment to fill up or hunt for cheaper prices.
Experts say differences in price aren’t typically decided by any individual gas retailer, and most of them aren’t pocketing the extra pennies when prices rise.
The uncertainty at the pump is trickling down from a massive, volatile oil and gas market that’s making it hard for gas stations to keep up.
Lonnie McQuirter, director of operations at 36 Lyn Refuel Station in south Minneapolis, said his margins have gotten much tighter.
About a mile (1.6 kilometers) off Interstate 35, the neighborhood convenience store posted $3.399 a gallon for regular gas on Wednesday, which is about 18 cents lower than the metro average, according to AAA. “We price based on what we’re able to buy fuel at, and how well we can operate,” McQuirter said.
He declined to speculate about his competitors, saying, “They’ve got different economics.” Wholesale fuel prices, which shift multiple times a day, are the main reason McQuirter said he’s charging more than a month ago.
He’s also facing higher credit card fees and rising costs to maintain pumps.
In times like these, with consumers “screaming for help,” McQuirter said small operators like him act more on emotion than greed. “We’re in our stores every day looking our customers in the eye,” he said. “It really takes a toll when people are having to cut back on certain things in order to afford to live.” What factors into gas prices?
A lot of it is outside the gas retailer’s control.
Roughly half the price at the pump pays for the cost of crude oil, the main ingredient in gasoline, according to the U.S.
Energy Information Administration.
About 20% goes to refiners who turn crude into gas.
Those costs have risen as crude oil prices jumped in response to the war and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz .
Gas retailers are adjusting the price at the pump to account for the higher price they just pai
原文链接: AP News