According to AAA, 5.2 million Californians will travel this Memorial Day weekend, an increase of 5.3 percent from last year, despite the fact that we are paying the highest prices at the pump since 2014.
Earlier this week, we showed you a gas station charging $4.09 for a gallon of gas.
The higher prices have a lot of folks in Sacramento talking. So, we wanted to sort through the fact and fiction to when it comes to higher prices at the pump. We took your questions, comments, and concerns to Patrick Dehaan from GasBuddy to get some answers.
Fact or Fiction: If you notice a gas station charging 30 cents more than another station, is that price gouging?
According to our expert, it’s fiction.
"When stations are charging all roughly the same price, (give or take) 20 to 30 cents, they are setting the price on what they paid," Dehaan said. "If you are looking at a gas station in Sacramento that is charging 40 to 50 cents higher than everyone else, that's more of a problem and could be price gouging.”
With 5.2 million Californians hitting the roads this Memorial Day weekend, we wanted to know what drivers are most afraid of while on a road trip.
Fact or Fiction: More people are worried about getting in a car accident on a road trip than using a dirty bathroom.
According to a new survey from GasBuddy, overpaying at the pump tops the list of fears folks have while taking a road trip, followed by their car breaking down and then having to use a dirty bathroom.
Now let's talk about the big question everyone wants to know, why are paying so much at the pump?
Fact or Fiction: Low gas prices in 2016 are playing a big role in higher gas prices now because of a conscious decision to produce less oil.
According to our expert, it's a fact.
"The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC] has 14 members that seek to control the price of oil," Dehaan explained. "Back in 2016, the price of oil dropped down to 25 dollars a barrel and when that is your main source of revenue as an oil-producing country, that's not good. If OPEC produces less oil, the price goes up."
According to MarketsInsider, a barrel of crude oil is hovering around 70 dollars, which is almost a 40 percent increase from this time last year. The gas tax and summer blend gas also play big roles in the higher prices at the pump.