Gas prices have dropped over the last two weeks in the Raleigh area, with prices near campus falling below the $4 mark.
According to RaleighGasPrices.com, a Web site dedicated to locating the cheapest gas prices in the area, the average for regular gas has fallen over 10 cents in the last week in and around Raleigh.
For students and faculty alike, the drop in price is a welcome change. Communication professor Kelly Albada filled up her Honda CR-V on Tuesday for a little over $67, something which she said is tough to do even though prices have dropped.
“Prices are horrible,” she said despite the drop. “I used to probably put $45 in it, I can’t imagine how some people afford to [drive to] work.”
The reason for the noticeable drop in prices is the fact that crude oil prices have dropped over the last two weeks. For most of the country averages have fallen but is is unclear at this point if prices will continue to drop or level out.
For Greg Doucette, a senior in computer science who also studies political science and economics, the drop in gas prices is a small change which will probably not correlate to a long term drop in prices.
“I think the decrease is just a blip,” Doucette said. “I don’t think it will drop very far but I also don’t think it will go much past $4. That $4 mark is an extremely psychological barrier.”
Doucette also said he thinks the price dip is completely unrelated to the upcoming election and any attempt by politicians to effect votes and is purely economic.
While the price of gas in Raleigh is up almost one dollar from this time last year, according to RaleighGasPrices.com, the $4 prices from early July have fallen by almost 15 cents on average.
Some gas stations in and around Raleigh have gas near $3.60 a gallon, but most pumps near campus still charge nearly $3.90, a price which has gone down over 10 cents in the last two weeks.
For Brandon Vick, a senior in communication, the drop has been noticeable but is still not a major change.
“I haven’t really noticed a difference as far as the total price, but I feel better mentally when it’s less than four dollars,” he said.
Vick said spending $65 to fill up his 2004 Jeep Wrangler is tough, especially when he goes home or to the beach.
“Going home and coming back is almost half a tank,” he said. “And going to the beach takes almost three quarters of tank. It’s really tough to do a lot of fun stuff because of how high gas prices are.”
Kelsey Mitman, a senior in business management, said even small price drops help even if the total cost of gas is close to the same.
“Every little bit helps when you’re a college student,” she said. “For those people with big SUVs or trucks a small change per gallon can mean saving five or ten dollars when you fill up a whole tank.”
