At South Austin’s Ben White Florist, owners are trying to keep costs down, but with gas at 50 cents a gallon more than it was at this time a year ago, costs keep adding up.
The business averages about 5,000 miles a month in deliveries. This month, they will be spending hundreds of dollars more just on gas.
“You cannot just blow it off,” said owner Michael Martinez. “It kind of eats away at you when you think about it.”
In the meantime, consumers are groaning all the way to the pump.
“I feel like we’re in a recession and things are getting worse instead of better,” driver Jodi Roberts said.
“It is like sticker shock,” said driver Harry Plubley.
Historically, gas prices drop this time of year because fewer drivers are on the road. Yet this year, prices are rising despite the fairly-steady cost of crude oil.
Analysts say the rising gas prices are not the result of rising demand. They say the demand for gas has decreased, and that the source of the crude oil may be to blame.
According to AAA Spokesman Dan Ronan, Texas refineries are relying more on oil imported from the Middle East and North Sea. The price of shipping has increased, and those costs are being passed on to the consumer.
Middle East tensions, especially Egypt and Libya, are not helping either.
“Instability in many cases will breed higher prices,” Ronan said.
The best February prices on gas in recent years were in 2009. At the time it was just $1.77 a gallon in Texas.
