South Carolina: Area gas prices hit record highs in February

www.tryondailybulletin.com Web posted: 3/7/03 by Bretta Smith

Record high gasoline prices hit Polk County and North and South Carolina in general during the month of February, and prices are expected to continue rising.

On Feb. 27, local self-serve regular unleaded gasoline ranged in price from $1.49 in Landrum to $1.63 in Tryon.

North Carolina’s average price per gallon of regular self-serve gasoline reached $1.591 on Feb. 12, the highest recorded average for the state in 20 years, according to AAA Carolinas.

This breaks the state’s record of $1.589, set on May 8, 2001, and is an increase of almost 50 cents from a year earlier in 2002.

Also on Feb. 12, South Carolina came close to breaking its old record. During February, South Carolina’s average reached $1.589, less than a cent from the record set in 2001.

Like those in the state of South Carolina, gas prices in the Asheville area in February reached one cent less than the record set in May 2001.

However, in February, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson area broke its previous record of $1.518 per gallon. The average price for gas in the market reached $1.531 on Feb. 12.

“We expect prices to continue to increase and to set new records,” said David E. Parsons, president and chief executive officer of AAA Carolinas. “We urge everyone to search your area for the lowest pump price, look for ways to cut down on fuel consumption and keep your vehicle properly maintained to increase its fuel economy.”

Heating oil has also been affected by the price increase. Pack’s Quality Fuel in Campobello has seen a steady rise in oil price. The price of heating oil was $1.099 in December and $1.219 in January, according to Ronnie Pack.

On Feb. 27, Pack said that he had to raise the price to $1.499 because of the rising price of fuel. “It’s been jumping like crazy,” he said.

Prince Oil Company in Landrum was priced at $1.599 at the end of February.

The February gas price increase in North Carolina follows another in January.

On January 1, 2003, North Carolina implemented a legislative-mandated 1.3 cent sales tax increase to fund highway improvement, maintenance, and construction.

The record high price of gasoline is not just a local problem. Nationally, the price of gasoline has also risen rapidly.

Between mid-January and mid-February, the national average of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline increased 14.7 cents to $1.618, according to AAA Carolinas.

The continuing loss of oil and gasoline exports from Venezuela and recent cold weather in much of the country has affected fuel inventories, but this does not justify the rapid increase in fuel prices, according to AAA Carolinas.

“The fuel industry is simply unsure of what is going to happen in the future,” Parsons said.