Gas prices have soared across the nation in the weeks since the beginning of the United States’ war with Iran, stranding oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, and Colorado is no exception.
The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline in Colorado was $4.42 on Wednesday, according to data from AAA, a 42.6% increase over the same product on May 6 last year, $3.10.
The Fort Collins-Loveland area is roughly in line with the state average, with a gallon of regular gasoline costing an average of $4.43, up from $3.04 one year ago.
Gas prices in Loveland ranged from $4.16 to $4.59 on Wednesday, according to GasBuddy, a crowdsourced online gas price tracker.
Larimer County is in a similar situation to neighboring counties, with customers in Boulder County paying roughly the same and drivers in Weld County paying around 9 cents less per gallon.
The prices are putting strain on local motorists.
Dan Gawlik, a retired firefighter, drives for Uber to keep active and make a little extra income, but because of gas price increases fuel costs have begun to take a greater and greater chunk out of his earnings, without a corresponding increase in rates paid to drivers to account for the higher fuel cost.
Over the last month or so he’s started clipping digital coupons, using rewards points at Circle K and using an app that provides a discount at the pump to save money.
To make matters worse, he drives a pickup truck that takes diesel, meaning it costs him around $120 to fill his tank, even with discounts, something that given the number of miles he drives, happens about once a day.
“If I had to count on this for my living, it’d be tough,” he said.
He also has a motor home that he spent nine months out of the last year touring the country in.
“I’m not going anywhere in that, eight miles to the gallon,” he said. “Last year I travelled most of the year, but I’m not going to be going anywhere with it this year. It’s too expensive.”
Prices are trending higher in the western part of the state with most western counties paying at least $4.50 as of Wednesday, and San Miguel County creeping over $5, and lower in most eastern counties, with Kiowa County in southeast Colorado the only county in the state with an average price lower than $4.
Larimer County is roughly in the middle of the pack as far as average prices, and Colorado is in the same position nationally.
Out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Colorado ranked 27th in highest average gas prices.
Oklahoma had the lowest average price at $3.96 per gallon, and California had the highest, $6.16, as of Wednesday’s AAA data.
May Torres drives her daughter to doctors appointments every other day, and the cost to refill her tank has gone from around $35 a year ago to $60 today.
“I’m a retired, fixed income single person,” she said.
