Some southern Utah drivers are feeling the strain as gas prices climb into the highest percentile nationwide, driven by rising crude oil costs and limited supply.
Gas prices
The current average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Utah is $4.20. Utah, alongside the rest of the West Coast, is in the highest percentile of national gas retail prices.
Recorded gas prices on March 4 show Utah drivers paid an average of about $2.95 per gallon for gas. This jump from $2.95 to $4.20 is an increase of $1.25 from just the beginning of the month to the end.
Rising gas prices in the United States are being driven by the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran, which has disrupted global oil supplies. Iran has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz and is treating it as a war zone, restricting passage to select vessels and limiting the flow of roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day. This restriction of oil supply continues to push fuel prices higher nationwide.
The Strait of Hormuz carries around 25% of the world’s oil shipped by sea, making it a critical route for the fuel that the United States depends on. As a result, global supply has tightened, pushing fuel prices higher for American consumers.
Gas prices nationwide have reached an average of $4 per gallon. According to AAA, this is the highest the national average price has been since 2022.
Student input
This spike in gas prices is hitting budgets hard, especially college students.
Ally Cannon, a senior digital media major from St. George, voiced her frustrations with this recent increase in gas prices.
“I make five dollars an hour, plus tips and commission, so paying for gas is rough for me,” Cannon said. “With the gas prices getting higher, it is only going to get harder for me to afford going to the gas station.”
With the minimum wage in Utah being $7.25 and gas currently being $4.20, students are struggling to get by. For the average college student working part-time, filling up a gas tank now takes a big chunk out of their paycheck, on top of tuition, rent and food expenses.
Gabrielle Smith, a sophomore psychology major from Boise, Idaho, said: “It’s frustrating, especially because I drive a truck. Trying to fill up a full tank breaks the bank.”
Some students attending Utah Tech University have access to a car and drive it often. With gas prices being higher, it is difficult price-wise for students to drive to school and work.
Students are also worried about the continued increase in gas prices, said Jaxon Peebler, a junior media studies major from West Jordan.
“It’s the question of, ‘How high is it going to go with the supply and demand going on?'” Peebler said.
For students like Peebler and Smith, who commute 30 minutes to work each day and have to drive to school, the spike in gas prices is forcing them to rethink how often they drive, or whether they can afford to drive at all.
It has Smith wondering, “Maybe it is time for me to buy a bike.”
