Ohio Gas Prices Up for Second Week: $4 Coming Soon?

Ohio gas prices are up for the second week in a row. In fact, people throughout the U.S. are feeling the pain at the pump. Could $4 gasoline be coming to the state by summer?

This week, Ohio gas prices rose six cents to an average of $3.45 a gallon. That's 30 cents higher than the average at this time last year, which was $3.15 a gallon. Of course, this slow, but steady rise is causing worry about looming $4 per gallon gasoline even though there is actually a rather weak demand for oil right now.

Part of the problem is that the world is facing tensions with Iran and its nuclear program, and they have threatened to shut down a major supply course, the Straits of Hormuz, which could devastate the supply chain. Another reason for the rise in prices is the fact that the Federal ethanol tax breaks expired.

Are you concerned that by this summer you may be paying in excess of $4 per gallon of gas? The somewhat "good" news is that if prices do shoot up to this level again, experts do not expect it to become the new "normal" like $3 did the last time gas prices rose dramatically. Even so, the threat looming is enough to make you wish that the U.S. already had a viable alternative energy plan.

Overall, the national average is $3.48 per gallon. Last year at this time it was $3.12 per gallon. Has this rise of 36 cents caused you any issues yet? How much will the price of gasoline have to go up before you get worried or make changes?

Comments: 21

mmerlinn ?. Feb 9, 2012, 3:19am UTC

I have built my life around expecting $8 gas, so I doubt if I would make any significant changes if it reaches half of that. Even at $4 per gallon, gas prices are WAY TOO LOW, so I would not be surprised to see $5 gas this summer.

Megan J. Feb 9, 2012, 7:42pm UTC

You're right. Gas prices are too low. When (not if) they get high enough, people will start to seriously consider alternatives, like changing their living situations to be more transport-efficient, or ditching the gas guzzlers, or building more bike lanes. Our gas shortage is a lifestyle problem, one that will only get us tangled up more with the Middle East if we don't work to solve it.

Spirit of 1966 Feb 9, 2012, 10:11pm UTC

Meg, I kind of thought you are kinda cute but your idea of imposing your morality on the rest of us as well as general idea of national suicide disturbs me. Thought processes like that means one ain't running on all eight cylinders. We run on energy, we need to exploit what we have. The green alternatives cannot do the heavy lifting we need to have in our society. We can be free if we access our resources close to home. I'm glad the Canadians don't have these hangups like we do and as much as I despise the Chi-Coms, I do applaud them for the same reason, they don't let these hangups get in their way like we do. All we are doing is putting a gun in our collective mouths with what you are proposing, all we need to do is pull the trigger and we will have national suicide. We don't have to worry about the Chi-Coms or the muzzies in Iran and elsewhere blowing us up, we are doing a damn good job of it ourselves.

Who in the Hell are you to say gas prices are too low? Take your morals somewhere else, don't impose them on me or others.

Jane C. Feb 13, 2012, 8:57am UTC

Compressed natural gas vehicles, Charles. It burns cleaner. Along with other alternatives, it will bite Oil in the ass. This movement is in its infancy. No one is implying a complete departure from oil at this time, but our dependency on it will be markedly reduced.

Spirit of 1966 Feb 14, 2012, 11:42pm UTC

Well, I'm not sold on CNG but if there is a way to do it, let the free market decide and improve it. IIRC, you can convert Natural gas to gasoline and diesel as well.

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Spirit of 1966 Feb 9, 2012, 10:03pm UTC

We can thank Bwana in the White Hut for that, he will not let us access our God given natural resources along with stopping the Keystone Pipeline.

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Omar J. Feb 11, 2012, 1:24am UTC

We bailed out the Auto Industry to get busted over the head with these gas guzzling cars. All apart of the plan to cripple our economic situations and have people rely more on government.

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Del Nerkez Feb 12, 2012, 12:28am UTC

a structured, falsely imposed demand for 'foreign' oil, by not allowing or approving drilling for our own, or accepting it from our nearest supplier.

it is really an attempt to force us into electric cars - which will create 100's of billions in profit for the 'friends' of the admin. - and with electricity skyrocketing, as it has and will continue to do as cap and trade is illegally imposed, they get a "two-fer" - control our electricity use, and our transportation choice via overwhelming financial penalties.

Spirit of 1966 Feb 12, 2012, 12:50am UTC

Exactly, plus the electric cars will cost so much, no one can afford them. As my cousin said, "if you don't have a license and a car, you're ghettoed, dude." Basically, the powers that be want all of us to be "ghettoed," and unfortunately, we have some people here who buy into that even though they cannot see that.

Del Nerkez Feb 12, 2012, 1:32am UTC

best way to control us - make us poor, and dependent on their 'handouts'.

Spirit of 1966 Feb 12, 2012, 8:40pm UTC

Exactly. Obama wants to be the long legged Mack Daddy of us all.

Del Nerkez Feb 13, 2012, 1:34am UTC

long legged Mack Daddy
lolol - yup and usurper etc - just as the rev manning said 3 years ago!

Spirit of 1966 Feb 14, 2012, 11:41pm UTC

Usurper, correct, he's a Communist too, Senator Joe McCarthy was right.

Del Nerkez Feb 15, 2012, 1:57am UTC

senator joe was right on his analysis, but off on his implementation of the corrective actions.

side note - my sons are great-great nephews of senator joe ....... but no one from that side of the family will even discuss him lol

Spirit of 1966 Feb 17, 2012, 11:50am UTC

Yeah, the delivery could have been better but I admire his diligence and spirit. As to being related, that would be cool, something I'd be proud of.

Del Nerkez Feb 17, 2012, 1:49pm UTC

my ex (their mom) was told to never ever bring it up in school - there is a stigma attached to him whether =deserved or not - also in private he was not at all a nice person.

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Nauman Malik Feb 12, 2012, 5:58am UTC

This is vey concerned thing and in my of the world prices are rising very frequently and drastically like its almost 1.1 USD/Litre here. Yes this is the issue due to tension with Iran, but world should understand that its sovereign state and we do not have right to push them back because almost all western world countries are with nuclear power and it will not make any difference if there will be one in middle east too along with Israel. Though it will be good for balance for power in region and they will perform with responsibility. We can only hope there will not be another war in invasion by world forces like they did in Iraq. There should be peace in region and no more stunts.

mmerlinn ?. Feb 12, 2012, 8:37am UTC

Unfortunately, there has NEVER been peace for long in the Middle East. And there is no reason to believe that peace will ever last for any length of time in the forseeable future.

Because of many factors, including the above, invasion of Iran is a forgone conclusion as long as Iran continues pushing the buttons which upset the status quo. It is just a question of when and by whom.

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♥ Christine aka stine1 ♥ Feb 13, 2012, 11:01am UTC

I pay about $9 for months now. You are lucky compared to Europe...

mmerlinn ?. Feb 14, 2012, 4:07am UTC

I paid $3.46 per gallon today, which is WAY too low. That does not mean I can afford higher prices - I can't - but prices of commodities of all kinds have a habit of either being too high or too low, then changing direction and heading for the other extremes.

I estimate that gas here should be around $8.75 per gallon or so. However, if that happens, there will be gas rationing and the REAL cost (counting the time wasted in lines), will be far far above $10 per gallon.

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Nikki Felder Jul 30, 2012, 1:40pm UTC

Thankfully I can still get gas under $4 here in my neck of the woods in North Carolina!

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Ohio Gas Prices Up for Second Week: $4 Coming Soon?

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