As the Christmas holiday rush hits its peak, Georgia drivers are grimacing at the sight of climbing gas prices, with the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline reaching $3.01. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, this marks a sudden upshoot – a 5-cent increase from last week, a 22-cent uplift from a month ago, and a significant 31-cent rise from the same time last year.
"The upward trend in crude oil prices, and attacks on ships in the Red Sea caused gas prices to increase across the country," said Montrae Waiters, a spokeswoman for AAA, in a statement obtained by WRGA News. With spiking wholesale prices and no immediate relief in sight, Waiters cautioned that "unless wholesale gasoline prices change course and drop considerably, pump prices may continue to rise." Filling up a standard 15-gallon tank now hits Georgia wallets harder—an average of $45.15, which is nearly $5 more than the last year's holiday season.
Nationally, the situation mirrors Georgia's, with a gallon of regular gas now costing $3.12, up 6 cents from the previous week, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. This uptick signifies the end of the respite drivers had from falling gas prices since September. Although the EIA observed a slight decrease in gas demand, down from 8.86 to 8.75 million barrels a day last week, gas stocks went up by 2.7 million barrels. These shifts paint a complex picture of supply and demand, with holiday travel adding another layer of unpredictability to pump prices.
Across Georgia's cities, the sting of price hikes is felt unevenly. Atlanta sits at an average of $3.02 per gallon, while the pricier Savannah market sees $3.12, and Dalton currently offers a relative bargain at $2.92. In contrast, drivers in Warner Robins find some solace with the least expensive prices averaging at $2.88, as per FOX 5 Atlanta's data. As the end of 2023 approaches, Georgians hit the road with a wary eye on the numbers that flicker above gas station forecourts, hoping for stability in a landscape where only change seems certain.
