PA gas tax to fall, cost of gas down nationally. So when will Bucks County see $3 gas?
Gas prices, already sliding during the holiday season, will continue to generally soften through the beginning of 2024, which will come as a relief to drivers in Bucks County and throughout the state.
In its realtime gasoline price index, AAA notes the average cost for gas in Bucks County was $3.35 per gallon on Thursday, while the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania is $3.342.
By contrast, the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas stood at $3.120.
"AAA is forecasting that roughly 104 million Americans will drive to their holiday destinations this year, and they will be greeted with the gift of falling gas prices,” said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a release. “With pump prices falling slowly each day, it is likely that the national average will slide below $3 per gallon by the end of the year.”
The fall in prices will be aided by the lowering of the Pennsylvania Gas Tax from the current rate of $0.611 per gallon to $0.576 per gallon, which goes into effect on Jan. 1. Still, Pennsylvania has the second highest state gas tax in the country.
So when will Bucks County motorists experience less pain at the pumps? Perhaps not so soon, according to various indicators.
Bucks County home to relatively high gas prices; little government can do
Gas prices in Bucks County are the fourth-highest in the six-county region, according to AAA:
Berks County: $3.429.
Lehigh County: $3.338.
Montgomery County: $3.398.
Northampton County: $3.329.
Philadelphia: $3.451.
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And there's little the state can do regarding gasoline prices, aside from enforcing the Price Gouging Act.
In a gasoline pricing document explaining the Price Gouging Act, Gov. Josh Shapiro pointed to other factors of why drivers don't see immediate relief at the pump.
"Gasoline stations still have to recover the cost of the higher priced product in the underground storage tank before they can lower price. Competition will promote lower prices," read a portion of the document. "Ordinarily, the factors contributing to gasoline prices rising and falling are supply and demand; changes in refining capacity due to maintenance, accident or closure; and regulations."
The gasoline pricing document also pointed to worldwide fluctuations in crude prices as having an impact on gasoline prices back home.
"Gasoline pricing can also be affected by geopolitical pressures leading to a decline in global crude oilproduction and also in inventories," read the document. "These conditions tend to result in increases in futures and spot market pricing which signal higher prices for gasoline."
Experts say a change consumer habits, pivot to electric vehicles are longterm cures
University of Delaware Professor Willett Kempton, an expert on electric vehicles and renewable energy, faulted society's global dependence on gas and unbridled capitalism as core problems.
"Gasoline prices will stabilize when oil producers stop going to war with each other, and when and if those concerned with climate change threaten to stop licensing or begin more taxing of petroleum," Kempton said. "For the United States consumer’s personal gasoline purchases, the best way to stabilize gas prices is to buy an electric vehicle.
"Per mile, electricity is about $1 per gallon, and wars have little effect on electricity prices."
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Finding the cheapest gas in Bucks County
While waiting on gas prices to fall and in lieu of purchasing an electric vehicle, there are ways the savvy Bucks County driver can find the cheapest gas in their neighborhood, if they plan accordingly.
GasBuddy continually updates its online ranking of the cheapest gas in Bucks County, while AutoBlog keeps track of the lowest gas prices in Doylestown.
There are also several mobile apps that help drivers find the least expensive gas nearby:
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA gas tax going down, but Bucks County stations still higher
