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ARDSLEY, N.Y. – The transition from summer to fall traditionally offers relief from not only the summer heat, but high summer gas prices as well. But this year, Rivertown residents may not be so lucky. While the heat will surly fade, gas prices could stay high into fall.
“I can’t believe it,” Sarah Hardee, a Dobbs Ferry resident, said as she pumped gas. “It seems like every time I fill up, this price jumps. It’s insane.”
With Hurricane Isaac knocking out power to countless refineries in the Gulf Coast and an unsettled situation overseas, gas prices in the state have risen an average of seven cents in the past week to $4.12 a gallon. The national average sits at $3.86 as of Monday, nearly 80 cents higher than a year ago.
Immediate relief should not be expected, AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair Jr. said. Prices can change by the day, depending on various factors.
“This is really a day-to-day progression. Things happen overseas we cannot control and prices can change significantly from one day to the next,” he said. “People were popping champagne after we hit an April peak and prices started to drop, and things literally changed the next day.”
Isaac caused a slight bump in prices, Sinclair said. But a more threatening issue is the upheaval in the Middle East, which may ultimately threaten the nation’s supply of crude oil.
“We’re seeing some of the effects of the global market,” he added. “The continuing tensions with Iran may ultimately take away as much as 20 percent of the world’s crude oil.”
Locally, the cheapest gas can be found at Getty at Broadway and Ashford Avenue, for $4.31 a gallon. Most stations are charging more than $4.30 for regular and nearly $4.60 for premium gas.
Stations will switch from the more expensive summer blend of gasoline to a cheaper winter blend next week, but Sinclair said motorists shouldn’t expect a sudden drop in prices.
“When they switch over next week, perhaps things will get better, but there are so many more factors than just that,” he said. “There’s so much going on, but in the short term, prices are more likely to continue to rise.”
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