CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — Escalating troubles between Russia and the Ukraine can be costly for Americans who are experiencing price hikes at the pump.
Even President Joe Biden expects American drivers will feel pain at the pump from escalating tensions in Ukraine, with Russia a key player in the oil market and volatile oil prices the biggest factor in the price of gasoline and diesel fuel.
As drivers hit the morning commute on Wednesday, the price of unleaded gas in the U.S. was about $3.54 per gallon nationally compared to about $2.65 a year ago.
Drivers of passenger cars, light trucks and vans can get better gas mileage by keeping a few general tips in mind: Avoid jackrabbit starts, keep your tires fully inflated and get rid of heavy items you might be carrying around to lighten your vehicle’s weight. What driver’s cannot change is the distance between their house and place of work.
Unleaded gas prices in West Virginia are averaging about $3.33 per gallon and diesel about $3.87, which is 8 cents below the U.S. average. Those prices are high enough to have Bulgarian-native and truck owner-operator Stanislov Boidzhiev complaining after a 70-gallon fill-up and fond memorial of last year’s diesel prices, which were $1.12 cheaper.
“Two dollars per gallon, and now it’s almost doubled,” Boidzhiev said.
Those transportation costs will impact the cost of goods carried.
“That’s terrible for the pocketbooks of West Virginians,” remarked U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. “We need to open up our own domestic resources more. We know this administration is clamping down on pipelines and drilling on federal lands. You know we can be energy independent here, and we should be. This shouldn’t have any impact on us. We should be able to sustain ourselves.”
Using cruise control can help your mileage too, but troubles in the Ukraine are driving part of the fuel costs here.