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Drivers feeling gas price surge
Gas prices are rising across Wisconsin, with drivers and businesses feeling the impact.
MILWAUKEE - Gas prices are rising at an alarming rate – and the worst might still be on the way. The average price for one gallon of gasoline has surpassed $4 in Wisconsin, according to gasbuddy.com.
Gas prices
By the numbers:
The website, which monitors trends in the cost per gallon across the state, listed the average price of $4.30 per gallon in Milwaukee on April 30. That's up more than 39 cents from this time last week.
GasBuddy reports average gasoline prices in Wisconsin have risen more than 50 cents per gallon in the last month.
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Wisconsin is not the only state seeing prices spike. All other Great Lakes states are seeing prices skyrocket.
An industry expert with GasBuddy says the spike is caused by refinery issues in Indiana and the conflict in the Middle East.
What they're saying:
"In the next day or two, we could see an even more dramatic jump across Wisconsin. A lot of this stems back to the refinery issues, but also the price of oil in the Strait of Hormuz putting upward pressure on prices as well," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
To keep tabs on the most up-to-date prices in your area, including county-by-county breakdowns, visit gasbuddy.com.
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Gas prices surge in Wisconsin
The average price for one gallon of gasoline has surpassed $4 in Wisconsin.
Sticker shock at the pump
Local perspective:
Drivers say the increases are hitting hard, especially those who spend a lot of time on the road.
Dyllon Kehlnhofer, who helps operate Senior Express and drives people across the state, says higher fuel costs are adding up quickly.
"We stay busy a lot. We’re covering a lot of ground," said Kehlnhofer.
He says the business is now paying about $1,000 more per month in gas.
"We had to raise our prices a little bit, but people still want to work with us," Kehlnhofer said.
Others say the increases are difficult to keep up with.
"It’s really hurting. It’s hurting the people on a fixed income," said David Yuenger. "I’ve never watched the price go up this fast in my life, and I’m 71 years old."
Helping hands
Why you should care:
Some businesses are stepping in to help ease the burden.
At a BP gas station near Howard and Clement, owner Faisal Bhimani has been offering $10 in free gas to senior customers every other week.
"The least I want to do is help out the community as much as I can," Bhimani said. "As long as the prices are high like this, we’ll be helping the seniors out."
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The giveaway is funded through community donations, which Bhimani matches. He says if donations run out, he plans to cover the costs himself.
The next $10 gas giveaway is scheduled for Monday from 9 to 11 a.m.
Why gas prices are rising
Big picture view:
Nick Jarmusz with AAA says the spike is being driven by a mix of global and regional factors.
"We did see a pretty significant jump overnight and even in the last week, and that's part of a regional story that's within this subset of the national increase and even the global increase we've seen in the energy costs, and it has to do with refineries here in the Midwest, especially in Illinois and Indiana where at least the eastern half of Wisconsin gets its gas from, for its gas stations -- those refineries are having some production issues that have kind of tightened up the supply on that end, and caused increases across the Great Lakes region," he said.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by AAA and GasBuddy.