Pain at the pump: Here's why gas prices continue to rise in Washington
KING COUNTY, Wash. — Gas prices are on the rise again. In King County, prices are closing in on nearly $5, with Washington state having the fourth-highest rate in the country.
Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy said the prices are rising, despite crude oil sliding in recent weeks.
“Every spring there's a disconnect between the price of oil and the price of gas. A lot of the recent for that disconnect is that oil prices could go down and gas prices could go up, and that has to do with the transition to summer gasoline that's recorded by the EPA," he said.
De Haan added this rise is normal for the season; during the summer months when temperatures are warmer, vehicle emissions can create low level ozone.
“You have millions of vehicles around in Seattle and most of the nation as well, so most of the most Summer gas tries to cut down on low level ozone. Now of course to create something that's clear burning is more expensive, but generally that’s why prices disconnect,” he said.
In addition, there’s a high demand for gas as more people look to road trips this time of year.
“Rising demand occurring at the same time as transitioning to summer gasoline creates a charged atmosphere for rising prices,” said De Haan.
De Haan said he expects prices to come down as supply goes up over the course of the summer. Meanwhile, find ways to save at the pumps.
“Depending on what station you're filling up at they may have a free loyalty program that'll save you 5-10 cents a gallon, and there's different ways to save depending on how you pay. There could be a cash discount, credit card offers, rebates and rewards.”
Another practical way to cut down on your gas spending, is to use apps like GasBuddy to find the cheapest price per gallon in your area.
De Haan is expecting prices at the pump to be highest over the memorial day holiday, followed by the Fourth of July And Labor Day.
