NC gas prices jump 6 cents overnight, edging closer to $5

According to GasBuddy, $5 gas will soon be a reality in North Carolina, with experts saying it's not if but when.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Jun 7, 2022 — Updated 12:01 p.m. Jun 7, 2022

Nia Harden

, WRAL reporter

According to GasBuddy, $5 gas will soon be a reality in North Carolina, with experts saying it’s not if but when.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas jumped from $4.52 to $4.58 between Monday and Tuesday, and experts believe we could see the average price of gas hit $5 per gallon sometime this month.

Find the least expensive gas in your area.

The higher gas prices are causing some drivers to change their habits. Gas consumption is down by more than 2% in the East Coast region.

Tiffany Wright, a spokesperson with AAA in the Carolinas, said this is just the beginning.

“Unfortunately, the pain at the pump could likely get even worse this week,” said Wright. “Right now people are still filling up despite how high prices have gotten and at some point motorists may change their daily driving habits, but we’re not there yet.”

Another concern is the price of diesel fuel costs, which are passed down to consumers through higher prices of goods and ongoing inflation.

Read up on ways to save gas and check out these other tips from AAA:

Combine errands to limit driving time.
Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.

How to save gas: Turn off your car and skip the drive-thru, experts say

GasBuddy reported Monday that nine states have average gas prices beyond the $5 per gallon mark, and more will join them in the coming week.

"More bad news is on the horizon. It now appears not if, but when, we'll hit that psychologically critical $5 national average," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "Gasoline inventories continue to decline even with demand softening due to high prices, a culmination of less refining capacity than we had prior to Covid and strong consumption, a situation that doesn't look to improve drastically anytime soon. In addition, diesel prices also stand at a record high, a second gut-punch to consumers which pushes prices of most goods higher."

As NC Democrats push for $200 gas tax refund for drivers, GOP lawmakers point to broader relief

Some experts believe the national average for a gallon of gas could reach $6 by August.

North Carolina Democrats are pushing for a $200 gas tax refund, which would be mailed to N.C. drivers in the form of a check or debit card.

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