Gas prices rise in southwest Missouri on Tuesday

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) — If you needed to fill up your car on Tuesday, you may have noticed that prices increased by an average of about 10 cents across southwest Missouri.

According to AAA, the average price for regular gasoline in the Show-me state is currently $3.15, up only two cents from yesterday. However, in the Springfield area, that is a much higher jump. Springfield’s average is around $3.09, while on Monday, it was $2.99.

“In the last couple days, it’s been rising tension in the Middle East,” said Nick Chabarria, a AAA representative. “Anytime that there’s a chance of conflict there, that, of course, impacts crude oil around the globe and certainly right here in the U.S.”

Chabarria said before this week that crude oil prices have declined for four straight weeks. Prices have since gone up to around $80 per barrel. He also said it’s essential to consider where gas prices have been in recent weeks. The average in Springfield at $3.09 is indeed ten cents higher than it was yesterday. But it’s the same average price as a week ago. A month ago, it was $2.95; a year ago, it was $3.60, and he said Missouri has the tenth lowest average price in the country.

“They can go up really, really quickly. It’s really, really hard for them to come back down quickly, typically,” said David Mitchell, professor and director of the Bureau of Economic Research at Missouri State University. “The gas stations have already bought it at that higher price. They’re reluctant to let it go at a lower price that might be below cost, at least until the kind of the tanks are re-emptied and they get a chance to rebuy.”

According to Mitchell, a number of factors can impact the price you pay at the pump. He attributes the recent spikes to unrest in the Middle East and the fact that summer vacation is winding down.

“I think you have a lot of people going out for one last hurrah before the semester starts for their kids,” said Mitchell. “I think that has a lot to do with it as well, too.”

With the end of summer, AAA said prices typically get lower in the colder months.

“Partly because there’s less demand for gasoline, but also because stations will switch over from summer blend gasoline to winter blend, which is a little bit cheaper to produce,” said Chabarria.

While drivers can’t do anything about the price of gas, there are a few things that they can do to help offset how much fuel they consume. AAA suggests keeping up on your car’s maintenance. The idea is that if your car is performing well, it’ll be more fuel efficient. Also, AAA suggests consolidating your trips. If you can, consolidate your errands into as few trips as possible.

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