SAN ANTONIO – Hang on to your gas cap. The price of gas just moved in the climbing lane.
San Antonio’s average is up 18 cents in just the past week and 32 cents in the past month, according to GasBuddy.
Jon Kajioka feels it. His truck guzzles $65 a fill-up.
“I’ve got to get gas every week,” he said.
Janice Salazar has noticed higher prices, too.
“I usually know what areas have the cheaper gas,” she said. “So, I do a little shopping around.”
Some of the cheapest unleaded in the area Friday afternoon was $2.57 at the Murphy USA on Pat Booker Road in Universal City.
But buckle up. As spring break road trips get closer, drivers can expect prices to rev up even more.
“We’re a week or two away from seeing sub-three-dollar prices disappear, so be prepared to dig a little deeper,” said GasBuddy’s chief petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. “By the time we peak, we could be looking at $3.15 to $3.35 a gallon in San Antonio.”
That would be around Memorial Day.
Why the rise?
Oil prices are up about $5 a barrel this month, and some refineries have been offline, but DeHaan says the main reason for the continuing surge is seasonal. As the weather warms, more people will be out driving, affecting supply and demand. And refineries will be switching to pricier summer fuel blends.
It makes for a rough road for drivers paying more for almost everything.
“I think I’m going to ride a bike,” Kajioka said.
On the bright side, San Antonio prices are a few pennies less per gallon than this time last year.
Gas prices rise across San Antonio area; spike 12 cents across state