As oil companies cash in, here’s how you can save money on gas in Pennsylvania
Drivers in Pennsylvania are paying more on average for gasoline than the nation as a whole, but there may be hope in sight: the current state average is lower than it was last week and President Joe Biden announced an unprecedented release of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Thursday, Biden announced he would sign off on the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day over the next six months. AAA, which tracks national gas prices on its website, projects the move could create more downward pressure on gas as demand falls and drivers cut back on trips.
As Pennsylvania drivers wait for relief at the gas pump, here’s a breakdown of the cost of fuel in the Keystone State and a roundup of where to find the cheapest gas in State College.
What’s the current average price for gas in Pennsylvania?
According to AAA, the current average cost per gallon of regular fuel in Pennsylvania is $4.295 as of Friday.
That’s down from last week’s average of $4.321 per gallon, but still higher than the national average of $4.215, as of Friday’s AAA report.
The current state average is below the highest-recorded average price — though not by much — of $4.439 per gallon. That high was reached March 11.
AAA’s metro average for State College stood at $4.313 per gallon of regular fuel Friday. It was up by one cent from the previous day’s metro average, but down from the previous week’s average of $4.365
What’s the latest action Biden is taking to bring down gas prices?
Thursday, Biden revealed he was signing off on the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day over the next six months – more than 180 million barrels altogether – to bring down costs for drivers at the gas pump.
These barrels are being taken from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is stored at four facilities along the Gulf Coast, two sites in Louisiana and two in Texas, in a network of artificial caverns. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “a typical cavern holds 10 million barrels and is cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 200 feet and a height of 2,500 feet.”
The release is unprecedented, with Biden calling it “by far the largest release from our national reserve in our history.” The release represents about 5% of all U.S. demand.
The president also warned oil companies they could face fines if they don’t pump on land they’ve leashed from the federal government.
“Right now, the oil and gas industry is sitting on nearly 9,000 unused but approved permits for production on federal lands. There are more than [12] million unused acres they have a right to — to pump on,” Biden said.
In response, the Center for Biological Diversity said Biden’s moves “will deepen our dependence on fossil fuels and open the floodgates to more oil and gas extraction when we should be going in the opposite direction,” according to a statement it gave to Democracy Now!
Biden also accused U.S. oil companies of gouging consumers at the gas pump: “For U.S. oil companies that are recording their largest profits in years, they have a choice. One, they can put those profits to productive use by producing more oil, restarting idle wells, or producing on the sites they already are leasing — giving the American people a break by passing some of the savings on to their customers and lowering the price at the pump.”
A new report by Oil Change International projects U.S. oil and gas companies could rake in as much as $126 billion in windfall profits this year.
That said, there are some steps you can take to save money at the gas pump.
How to save money at the gas pump
The website GasBuddy uses crowd-sourced data to offer users a look at the cheapest places to fill up locally.
As of Friday, the cheapest gas station in State College was at the Uni-Mart on North Atherton Street for $4.19 per gallon of regular fuel, cash only.
AAA has also rounded up a list of tips and good habits you can practice to optimize your gas consumption. That means slowing down and driving the speed limit, avoiding sudden starts and stops and idling as little as possible.
“If your car will be stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine to save fuel. Many newer cars have automatic engine stop-start systems that do this,” AAA said.