County gas prices could hit $4.25 soon

SHELBY, N.C. — Sueanne Rikard has felt the crunch on her wallet from gas prices.

An itinerant teacher on the move between nine schools, Rikard said it takes between $75 and $100 to fill her Honda Odyssey van.

Rikard is a Casar mom of two teenagers. She’s cut back on dining out and going out to the movies.

“I have to make sure gas is part of my budget,” she said.  “I don’t get extras at the grocery store.”

Experts predict gas prices will only go up as the season wears on.

Drivers in Cleveland County and across the state could pay up to $4.25 per gallon for gas this spring, according to AAA Carolinas.North Carolina’s current average is at $3.82.

Consumers in some states are already paying $4 per gallon. Other states could see gas reach $5, the Associated Press reports.

Who’s to blame?

Tim Cathey from Fallston believes the high prices are politically motivated. Cathey said now he consolidates trips to stretch his gas. Trips to the grocery store are 20 miles.

“It’s a bummer,” he said. “I feel bad for people who have to choose between gas and food.”

Cathy Hein, public relations manager at AAA Carolinas, said conflict overseas has a huge effect on prices.Iranis threatening to block theStrait of Hormuzalong its coastline. One-fifth of global oil moves through that waterway.

“We’re in the same position we were a few weeks ago. That (overseas turmoil) is helping to drive prices up more,” Hein said.

Rikard said high prices derive from a combination of factors, includingAmerica’s economy.

Eighty-five percent of American adults said the president and Congress “should take immediate actions to try to control the rising price of gas,” a Gallup poll found earlier this month.

Hein said only time will tell when prices will go down. She said drivers should combine trips and shop for the best prices.

“Do things to control how much gas you use,” Hein said. “When we hit the $4 mark, that may be where people make the choice to do things differently.”

WSOC