Gas Prices Expected to Rise in 2013
GasBuddy.com is out with their annual prediction of the price of gas for this year and there is good news and bad news.
The bad news is they project prices will spike in March and April, when we may see a range of prices between $3.80 and $4.05 a gallon. The good news is they expect prices to then trend downward through the rest of the year and finish between $3.18 and $3.48 a gallon.
Saving Money on Gas
So the question now becomes what can you do to help minimize pain at the pump? By paying careful attention to gas prices you can find stations that typically sell gas for a little less than others. A handy tool to use is the Milwaukee Gas Prices website to search for the cheapest gas nearest you. The website relies on local consumers to report gas prices and also rewards members with points that can be used to participate in raffles to earn prizes. The website also features a list of ten useful fuel saving tips that you can implement to save yourself money.
For example, I went to the website today and typed in my zip code. I discovered that the most expensive gas station by me is selling gas for $3.15 a gallon versus the least expensive option at $3.04 a gallon. On a sixteen gallon fill-up that’s a savings of $1.76. While that might not seem that big of a deal to some folks, we know that every dollar means a lot to Milwaukee Consumer readers!
If you’d like to dig into the details of GasBuddy’s predictions for 2013, check out the complete GasBuddy 2013 Forecast.
Will Gas Dip Below $3 a Gallon This Summer?
Consumer advocate Clark Howard is predicting that there is a better than 50/50 chance that gas prices will dip below $3 per gallon and fall into the $2 range this summer. The U.S. is currently sitting on its greatest stockpile of oil in the last 22 years.
Howard believes that our increased oil reserves in conbination with the following factors will contribute to lower prices at the pump:
- France has elected a new socialist president
- The disruption in Greek elections
- Continuing political and economic uncertainty in Europe
- China’s economy is slowing down
- Americans are buying more fuel efficient vehicles
- There appears to be less talk of going to war with Iran
According to MilwaukeeGasPrices.com, the current national average at the pump is $3.76 per gallon and the average price in Milwaukee is $3.80 per gallon.
It’s extremely difficult to predict where gas prices are headed. However, there is one thing that we know for sure - we hope Clark Howard is right with his prediction!
How to Find the Cheapest Gas in Milwaukee
According to GasBuddy’s senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan, gas prices are likely to increase in 2012. GasBuddy is predicting that prices will continue to rise until May, when we may see a range of prices between $3.75 and $4.15 a gallon. GasBuddy predicts prices will trend down from June through December, at which point prices will be in a range of $3.41 to $3.66 a gallon.
What can you do to help minimize pain at the pump? By paying careful attention to gas prices you can find stations that typically sell gas for a little less than others. A handy tool to use is the Milwaukee Gas Prices website to search for the cheapest gas nearest you. The website relies on local consumers to report gas prices and also rewards members with points that can be used to participate in raffles to earn prizes. The website also features a list of ten useful fuel saving tips that you can implement to save yourself money.
For example, I went to the website today and typed in my zip code. I discovered that the most expensive gas station by me is selling gas for $3.31 a gallon versus the least expensive option at $3.23 a gallon. On a sixteen gallon fill-up that’s a savings of $1.08. While a dollar might not seem that big of a deal to some folks, we know that every dollar means a lot to Milwaukee Consumer readers!
If you’d like to dig into the details of GasBuddy’s predictions for 2012, check out the complete GasBuddy 2012 Forecast.
