As the conflict in Iran drags on, and the movement of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is dramatically slowed, North Carolinians are getting saddled with the costs. Gas prices are once again climbing to an average of $4.13 per gallon of regular gas in North Carolina. That’s one dollar higher per gallon than one year ago.
President Trump has acknowledged fuel prices are surging because of the Iran War, and told reporters earlier this month that they are not likely to come down for months.
For everyday North Carolinians, that means frustration and difficult decisions.
“I gotta pay my own gas, but with all these prices going up, I can only fill me up half a tank, you know what I mean?” said Victoria Sorto, a driver in Western North Carolina.
Many remain pessimistic that prices will go down any time soon.
“As long as we are involved in a war that nobody wanted and we have no strategy to exit, then I don’t see how prices are going to go down at all,” said Rick Becker, a driver from Fairview, NC.
Since the war started at the end of February, American consumers have paid an extra $106.8 billion on gasoline and diesel alone, amounting to $815 per household – a figure that is likely to rise as fuel costs remain elevated.
What’s more – it’s not just gas prices that rising fuel costs impact. Trickle-down effects have already been seen in higher airfare costs, and will likely impact the cost of groceries and other essentials in the long run because they are often delivered by large trucks operating on expensive diesel.
