‘Ridiculous’ Gas Prices in California as High as $7 a Gallon

Average gas prices in California are sitting at around $6 per gallon — the highest in the U.S. and well above the national average.

The pain at the pump is driving some San Diego residents to choose between other necessities and gas, Fox News reported from a gas station in the second most populous city in California. Some residents said they paid as much as $7 for a gallon of gas, which is putting the squeeze on their spending.

“A couple of times it’s been either groceries or gas,” one resident, who described paying up to $130 to fill up his vehicle, said. “It’s hard, it’s been really hard recently.” 

Another resident said sometimes they have to choose between filling up the tank, or lunch. 

Depending on the size of their vehicles, residents reported paying anywhere from $75 to $150 — an investment that may only last about a week before it’s time to refill again. They described the high prices at the pump as “outrageous,” “ridiculous” and “crazy.”

Last June, U.S. consumers were faced with the highest recorded national average gas prices, with the average price of a gallon coming in at about $5 as crude oil eclipsed $100 a barrel. As of Friday, the national average cost of a gallon of gas was $3.83, according to AAA.

Raw oil prices are climbing and analysts are bracing for the price of crude oil to reach, and likely exceed, $100 a barrel again. Meanwhile, the government is running out of tools to cushion the blow to consumers, as the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves hit their lowest levels in 40 years. 

Lower reserve levels mean that the Biden administration may not be as capable of shielding consumers from rising gas prices as the Saudi Arabian and Russian governments extend their 1.3 million-barrel-per-day cuts through the end of this year. Limited supplies are expected to continue to raise the price-per-barrel of oil, and the cost-per-gallon of gas.

Climbing gas prices could also be a thorn in President Joe Biden’s side ahead of the 2024 elections, with just 37% of respondents in a recent Wall Street Journal poll saying they approve of Biden’s handling of the economy; 59% said they disapprove. 

“Continuing crude price strength could weigh on President Joe Biden’s reelection bid,” research firm Clearview Energy Partners wrote in a Sept. 5 analysis.