Gas prices on the rise

Hurricane Isaac didn’t make its way to East Meadow, but it is one reason why residents are paying more than $4 per gallon of gas when they head to the pump.

“It’s very unusual to see prices this high this time of year,” said Gregg Laskowski, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “It definitely made a bad situation worse.”

Gas stations along East Meadow Avenue, between Hempstead Turnpike and North Jerusalem Avenue, were listing regular gasoline between $4.03 and $4.37 as the Herald went to print on Tuesday. Locals were bypassing the Getty station on Front Street, which posted the highest price, and even those paying $4.09 at the USA station at Stuyvesant Avenue said that was too expensive.

“It should be cheaper,” said Mike Schiliro of East Meadow, adding that $3 would be an affordable cost. “It’s a shame because it’s affecting the whole economy. The economy would be doing much better if gas was cheaper.” Schiliro paid $63 to fill his pickup truck.

“It’s too much,” added Sham Lal, also of East Meadow. “I can’t even afford this. All the big companies are making money while we’re losing money.”

North Bellmore resident Bob Spampinato stopped for gas on the way to work and added, “It was half the price four years ago.” He said that reduced drilling in America is an issue, and one reason it’s time for a new president come November.

George Ciyaven, a gas station attendant and an East Meadow resident, said he sees business drop as gas prices rise. “[Drivers] keep waiting for the cheaper prices,” he said. Ciyaven, a native of Turkey, said that when he visited his home country six months ago, he paid $13 per gallon. “People should not be complaining that much,” he said. Overseas, he added, people buy small cars and squeeze in five passengers when they go for a drive. He added that mass transit, like buses and trains, is more common among commuters.

Gasoline prices traditionally drop after Labor Day, but refineries along the Gulf Coast are not yet operating at maximum capacity, and East Coast refineries are operating at 81 percent of capacity, which is “significantly lower than every other region,” Laskowski said.

He added that crude oil is also trading high — $95 to $97 per barrel — due to the talk of possible military action against Iran by Israel and the fear that Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, will announce a new economic stimulus plan. “An economic stimulus plan introduction would devalue the dollar … it could be interpreted as a bad move [and] would push crude oil higher,” Laskowski explained.

On Tuesday, the average cost of gas in New York state was $4.06 per gallon, according to GasBuddy — an 8-cent increase in one week. The national average was $3.85.

Laskowski said he expected gas prices to drop come October, when winter-blend gasoline is introduced. “Winter-blend is cheaper gas to produce,” he said. “It has fewer additives, and some of that savings is passed back to the consumers.” Stations are required to provide the winter blend by Oct. 1.

Until prices drop, here are some tips from the U.S. Department of Energy to minimize your bill:

• Observe the speed limit. Every five miles per hour you drive over 60 mph will effectively cost you an additional 28 cents per gallon. 
• Remove excess weight. Added weight in your trunk reduces your mileage, and smaller vehicles are affected more than larger ones. 
• Don’t idle. Idling can waste up to a half gallon of gas per hour. Turn off your vehicle immediately after parking, and try to avoid drive-through windows. 
• Properly inflate your tires. Keeping tires at the recommended pressure can save you up to 10 cents per gallon.
• Tune your vehicle. Replacing a faulty oxygen sensor can improve your mileage by 40 percent, saving you about 14 cents per gallon.