Gas prices have surged to four-month highs. Don’t panic
CNN
Prices at the pump are rising fast — and it’s not even spring.
Prices at the pump are rising fast — and it’s not even spring. After bottoming at $3.07 a gallon in mid-January, the national average climbed to $3.40 a gallon on Friday, according to AAA. That’s a four-month high. The speedy price increase threatens to unwind progress on inflation and add to the financial pressure some Americans are feeling. If the trend continues, or even accelerates, it would likely cause major problems for the Federal Reserve’s tentative plan to start cutting interest rates in the coming months. A gas price spike might be the last thing President Joe Biden needs to convince skeptical voters about his economic agenda. But experts say there is no reason to panic about gas prices, at least not yet. Gas prices always rise at this time of the year. The end of winter means higher demand for fuel as the weather warms up. It also means the end of cheap winter fuel and the switch to the more expensive summer fuel blend, a process that is just getting started in most states.
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