COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Dan Searles, who owns a gas station in Cobb County, says some things are out of his control, especially when they’re happening halfway around the world.
“Nothing I can do about it. Just put it in, and fill it up,” Searles told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen.
The war in the Middle East has already popped the price at the pump, making gasoline cost a lot more Monday than it did over the weekend.
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Oil prices were up by as much as 12% per barrel.
A spokesperson for AAA, the Auto Club Group, said more than half of the price at the pump is due to what’s happening on the other side of the globe.
“When we talk about what’s going on overseas, oil prices account for over half of what we pay at the pump,” AAA Spokesperson Montrae Waiters said.
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Channel 2 Action News found that many local gas stations have already reacted, with prices at some places up more than 30 cents a gallon.
But how long that could last is unknown.
“People shouldn’t panic. I want to make sure that’s out there because usually around this time of year is when we start to see gas prices increase anyway,” Waiters said.
Waiters said when refineries switch to making the summer blend of gasoline, and demand gets higher because of spring break, prices rise.
But the current spike is related to the war. Searles says it’s out of his hands.
“Not a single thing I can do about it, so I don’t worry about it,” Searles said.
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