The Real Reason Why Gas Prices Jump Every Spring
One of the biggest factors of life that most Americans constantly are focusing on and maybe stressing out about is the price of gas. After all, it’s one of the most commonly used commodities in our lives. Whether or not someone uses public transportation or drives themselves to wherever they need to be, some sort of fuel is likely in the mix. Therefore, our eyes can find a way to constantly be fixed on those fuel prices that always rise and fall. While a couple of cents per gallon might seem like a big deal, perhaps it’s not that serious. However, when fuel begins to climb by dollars at a time, things might not be so great.
As of right now, in the scheme of where we have seen fuel prices here in America, things are looking pretty positive. After all, the vast majority of the country is currently seeing gas prices under $3 per gallon. When we do see the fuel prices rise, though, what exactly is causing that? After all, this is a market that is really hard to hike the price up on. With so much competition, motorists could easily go to the gas station next door if another doesn’t want to play ball. So what are the driving forces behind these changes? One of them might be the season. Springtime can be a bit of a culprit!
According to USA Today, there are four main factors that can control why we prices might be taking a click up around this time of year. First and foremost, obviously, the price of oil is a big controlling factor. This will rise and fall based on global supply which can be controlled by a variety of factors. Many of these factors are political and entire books can and probably have been written on this topic alone. For those who want to learn more, good luck with that ball of wax!
Second, around springtime, USA Today says that a lot of refineries experience some downtime. Along with a need for maintenance comes a lack of production. Less supply and a constant demand means that prices can take a hike.
The third factor is a little bit of surprising common sense… if that makes any sense. The fact that some states are further away from refineries than others plays a role in gas prices as well. Transportation is downright expensive. Therefore, in a weird way, even the price of gas has an effect on the price of gas.
Lastly, state taxes can be a real pain when it comes to the prices we pay at the pumps. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this could cause a direct correlation to how much it’s going to cost to put fuel in the tank.
