Lawn and landscape contractors spend several hours a week on the road driving from job site to job site, and many are commenting on the pinch they’re feeling at the pump. Visit the Lawn & Landscape Online Message Board to find out what your colleagues around the country are paying for gasoline these days and add your own experiences.
In the meantime, here’s a rundown of average prices around the country.
AAA reported today that the national average price of gasoline hit an all-time record high today at $2.23 a gallon – three cents higher than the national average price of gas yesterday. Record prices were also recorded throughout the Philadelphia region, Pennsylvania and state of Delaware.
The price of unleaded regular gas in Delaware hit a record high yesterday at $2.12 per gallon and again today at $2.14 gallon. In Pennsylvania, the price hit a record high yesterday at $2.17 a gallon and again today, at $2.19 gallon. In New Jersey, the price soared above the $2 mark this week for the first time since last year and today reached a record $2.04 gallon today.
Nationally, the price of gas has jumped six cents in the last week and 44 cents from a year ago. The last record high national average was $2.05 set in May 2004. The price of crude oil, a major influence on the price of gasoline, is in the all-time high range of $57 barrel.
"Some people may wonder why prices at the pump fluctuate so much from state to state.
The Energy Information Administration expects gas prices to continue rising through the Memorial Day holiday at the end of May.
Last month, the majority (28 percent) of participants in Lawn & Landscape's weekly online poll reported that gas prices have had the biggest impact on their businesses over the last 25 years, followed by the Internet and immigration/foreign labor.
Current gas prices are more than 40 cents higher, in some cases, than the $1.80 to $1.89 range that most Lawn & Landscape online poll participants (32 percent) reported paying back in February.