It’s A Gas: Continually Soaring Gas Prices May Leave Long Islanders Fuming

Just when we had started enjoying warmer weather and gas prices that had cooled off a bit, it seems that there’s now been a significant reversal; the temps are beginning to drop and gas prices are on the rise.

According to officials the average for unleaded regular for Long Islander soared by more than 17 cents a gallon in the pat week alone, and some expect that we will soon see a $3-a-gallon regular.

And, if that hike wasn’t enough, heating oil prices also escalated in the past week. In fact, experts note that heating our homes is costing us an additional 3 cents per gallon as of this past week.

And, according to KeySpan Energy officials, natural gas heat customers can expect to pay about 16 cents more per 100 cubic feet this month as compared to a year ago.

Industry experts suggest that prices are going up due to shortages in gasoline inventories, and because a generally mild and snowless winter has motorists driving more than usual during this time of year, increasing the gasoline demand.

And, they go on to say that we can expect another increase, estimated at around 25 cents per gallon, and perhaps up to 50 cents per gallon by early summer.

However, some refute these claims stating that while 10 and 20 cent hikes at the pump can be anticipated, it’s highly unlikely that we will experience a national or Long Island average of $3 by spring or summer.

What will actually happen, note experts depending on weather and demand, still remains to be seen.