Where you can still find gas for under $4 per gallon in and around Charlotte
Gas prices have continued to rise to record levels in Charlotte and across the country amid the turmoil of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting a financial strain on drivers filling up at the pump.
However, according to the price tracker GasBuddy, there are still some gas stations in and around Charlotte where you can find below-average gas prices.
Here are some places in the Charlotte area where you can still get unleaded regular gas for less than $4 per gallon, as well as details on averages across the region and state.
Gas for less for than $4 per gallon in Charlotte
Note: This data is from March 9, 2022.
Charlotte gas prices
Although some Charlotte area gas stations are still selling regular fuel for less than $4 per gallon, that’s becoming harder to find in North Carolina and across the country, data from AAA shows.
The national average Wednesday was $4.25, according to AAA, and North Carolina’s average price was $4.12, a record-high figure.
The average price in Mecklenburg County was slightly lower than the state average as of Wednesday, sitting at $4.12 for a gallon of regular fuel. The Charlotte metro area’s average price was also less than the statewide average, at $4.11.
Why is gas so expensive?
There is no one factor that determines gas prices, experts and officials say.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration names four main factors for determining prices:
- The cost of crude oil
- Refining costs and profits
- Distribution and marketing costs and profits
- Taxes by federal and state entities
The cost of crude oil is often affected by both supply issues as well as interruptions in distribution networks brought on by global instability, according to the EIA, such as the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Crude oil makes up about 12% of Russia’s global trade, AAA says, but President Joe Biden has said the U.S. will ban “all imports of Russian oil and gas and energy” as part of a strategy to sanction Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
It’s a move many agree with, according to a recent poll by Quinnipiac. “Americans say 71 - 22 percent that they would support a ban on Russian oil even if it meant higher gasoline prices in the United States,” the polling group said.
Regardless of public support, the ban will impact gas prices, experts say.
“By removing the Russian imports and not having an immediate adequate replacement, then obviously prices are going to go up,” Max Pyziur, director at the Energy Policy Research Foundation, previously told McClatchy News.
The International Energy Agency — an intergovernmental organization made up of 31 counties, including the U.S. — has said it will release oil from member countries’ “strategic reserves” “to reassure markets.” The plan “is the largest coordinated release since IEA was founded in 1974,” AAA says.
Observer reporter Evan Moore contributed to the reporting of this story.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 1:58 PM.
