AAA says gas is averaging more than $4 a gallon across the Lone Star State.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The pain at the pump got worse this week, as the average price for a gallon of unleaded topped $4 in Texas, according to AAA.
The average price was $4.04 on Wednesday, up from $3.78 one week ago, and 46 percent higher than one year ago. Moe Salah fondly remembers those days.
“I could fill up the tank for $60 to $70. Now I’m paying double,” he said as he pumped gas into his truck Wednesday at a station in south Arlington.
He makes a living selling and delivering parts to mechanics across Tarrant County and pays for his own gas. WFAA talked with him as the gallons and dollars ticked higher and higher on the pump.
“I don’t like watching the numbers. I usually sit in the truck,” he admitted.
Salah has adopted a strategy that experts say is smart.
Tips on how to save
He maps out his route so he doesn’t backtrack.
He stays loyal to a fuel reward program and gets gas when he’s near the stations that typically have the lowest prices.
“I only fill up at Murphy’s because I have the Murphy’s app,” he said. “And I fill up maybe twice a week.”
Gas stations in high-traffic areas near interstates sometimes have higher prices.
Just a half mile from the Murphys’, where Salah was filling up for $3.75 a gallon, another station was priced at $4.29.
“If you go off the beaten path a bit, you might find some savings that way,” said Daniel Armbruster of Triple A.
AAA also says driver behavior is the number one factor when it comes to fuel efficiency.
“Avoid aggressive driving, so no speeding or rapid acceleration,” Armbruster said. “Avoid idling. If you’re going to be parked more than a minute, turn off your engine.”
The agency also suggests planning our errands to avoid unnecessary driving and carpooling if possible. One tip North Texans might find difficult to follow is avoiding stop-and-go traffic. Rush hour can burn more fuel, Armbruster said.
The agency also says mobile apps that track gas prices at stations in your neighborhood can be a helpful tool.
Is relief coming?
Oil prices continue to show volatility, but have dropped about $10 a barrel in the first week of May.
As a general rule, for every $10 drop in crude oil prices, gas prices at the pump should go down about 20 to 25 cents.
But there is so much uncertainty about the war with Iran, prices might not follow the typical pattern. Economists say gas prices go up like a rocket and fall like a feather.
Consumers changing behavior
Salah’s final bill was more than $80 for 22 gallons.
He pulled in when he still had a quarter of a tank.
“We don’t go out to eat as much as we used to. We don’t shop as much as we used to. I have twins, and I can’t take them out as much as we used to,” he said. “It’s hard.”