WV GASOLINE PRICES AMONG USA'S HIGHEST - Gallon Price Will Edge Toward $4

(01/08/2008)

West Virginia's gasoline prices are among the highest in the nation. According to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the Mountain State is $3.23, 90 cents higher than the average at this time last year. Only four other states have higher averages - New York, Hawaii, Connecticut and California. The current national average is $3.10. The price of filling-up rose this past week as oil prices hit a record high of more than $100 a barrel. Analysts say the price will go up through the Spring months, with some predictions saying it could reach $4 a gallon. Robert Kaufmann, director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Boston University, predicted last week that the price of oil will remain high. The likely impact of sustained high prices is, "maybe we're looking at $4 gasoline," he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. High gas prices create a real crunch in West Virginia, where per capita income ranks 49th in the nation. People who live on low or fixed income pay a larger percentage of their incomes for fuel. A large number of West Virginia residents live in rural areas where there are few jobs, even in the service sector, causing them to drive 100-150 miles daily to work. Those workers, and there are thousands, are facing some serious financial problems.

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