ATLANTA — On top of the fuel shortages, we’ve also seen gas prices start to jump here in metro Atlanta, with the average price for a gallon of unleaded going up 30-cents from last week.
According to the analysts at Gas Buddy, the most we can hope for right now is for prices to stabilize. And we could see prices increase over the next couple of days. Scary news for drivers like Greg Everson in Gainesville, who said he had a case of sticker shock while gassing up on Wednesday.
"I'm bad at not paying a whole lot of attention but at $4.29 a gallon- it got my attention...of course I use premium so I'm going to pay more to begin with but that was just wrong," Everson said.
According to Gas Buddy, the average price in Atlanta right now is $3.01 for a gallon of regular unleaded.
Last year at this time, it was $1.63 a gallon, but hardly anyone was traveling because of the pandemic.
So for comparison's sake, we checked 2019 and found it was $2.85. That puts us 16-cents higher right now.
Gas analyst Allison Mac said Georgia had the largest price increase compared to any other state last week and the pipeline shutdown isn't the only factor.
"Normally this time of year, your gas prices do go up because we're right ahead of Memorial Day and right ahead of summer travel...on top of that, we're switching over to summer-blend gasoline which is a more expensive blend of fuel," Mac said.
With more people driving as COVID-19 restrictions ease, Mac said don’t expect to see prices drop until close to July.
"Prices will be increasing in the next couple of days, peaking in June," Mac said.
So, when does a price increase cross the line into gouging?
We reached out to Georgia's Attorney General, Chris Carr's office and they said:
"While the State of Emergency remains in effect, businesses may not charge more for products and services identified by the Governor than they charged before the declaration...This includes motor fuel and diesel fuel. But keep in mind: prices may go up due to a verifiable increase in the cost of new stock or the cost to transport it, plus the retailer's average markup percentage applied during the 10 days immediately prior to the declaration of the state of emergency."
Mac said it's important to note there were other factors already in play before the pipeline even shutdown.
"So it's hard to pinpoint exactly what percentage is because of the pipeline and what percentage is due to the climate of prices going up at this time," Mac said.
With each station setting its own price, other factors play into that too.
"Some gas stations, they are situated in a very popular intersection, rent is higher so they can get away with higher gas prices," Mac said.
If you see a scam or price gouging, call 404-651-8600 inside the metro Atlanta area or call 1-800-869-1123 toll-free outside of the metro Atlanta calling area. You can also repot online at consumer.ga.gov.