CONNECTICUT, USA — Connecticut residents continue to ride a rollercoaster with gas prices.
“I noticed they went down slightly, but it seems like they’re creeping back up,” Ioannis Kaloidis from Middlebury said.
AAA said concerns about increased global oil prices and seasonal gas demand are driving prices higher, despite the gas tax holiday.
The tax holiday provides residents with a break of 25 cents per gallon, which started at the beginning of the month.
Looking back at our report from the first week of April, drivers noticed a drop after the tax holiday went into effect.
FOX61 tracked the change in prices and found that on April 5, drivers paid $3.61 per gallon at the Cumberland Farms on Thomaston Ave in Waterbury and $3.51 for members.
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Now, two weeks later, drivers are paying $3.79 per gallon and $3.69 for members as of Thursday, which is an 18-cent difference.
For business owners like Mario Mendoza who runs Mario’s Ice Cream, that increase makes a difference. He has two tanks in his truck: one for regular and one for diesel. As prices go up, he tells us he’s had to raise his prices.
“It’s very high,” he said. “A lot of people complain for the cones, but I can’t sell cheap. Everything is expensive.”
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According to AAA, the state average is $3.96 per gallon. Last week it was at $3.88, which is an increase of eight cents in the last week.
But still, prices are down 37 cents in the last month, which averaged $4.33 per gallon. Prices are also less than the current national average of $4.12 per gallon.
AAA Greater Hartford Spokesperson Tracy Noble said there are two big factors causing the prices to fluctuate: one is the war in Ukraine.
“The other thing is, it’s the spring driving season,” she said. “Demand also drives the price at the pump.”
Even with the increase, residents know where to find the best deals. At the Waterbury Gulf on Homer St, gas actually went down; it was $3.59 per gallon two weeks ago and is now !$3.53.
The woman who runs the station didn’t want to go on camera but she said she keeps prices as low as she can, to help the community.
Noble said AAA is not expecting any drastic increases like what drivers saw several weeks ago.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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