MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - Pain at the pump grew this week and gas price hikes are showing no signs of slowing down. Crude oil creeped up to $103 per barrel. That means drivers are watching their spending a little closer.
"It's getting where you have to cut back to make ends meet," Patricia Watt said.
Watt made a pit stop at the Forsythe Avenue Fina in Monroe. Her job keeps her traveling across North Louisiana. She stops to fill up only when her car's tank is almost empty.
"I don't think they're going to go down. I'm wishfully thinking they would. But from what I understand, they're going to keep rising," Watt said.
GasBuddy.com says the national average for regular unleaded is $3.53. Motorists in the Bayou State are paying a nickel less. But that's up 4 cents up from last week. Despite higher prices, gas station worker Jermaine Armour has not seen a difference in the number of people filling up.
"Some of the customers are asking about the gas prices about when they went up. I told them they went up last week but it's not really too much affecting us," Armour said.
Gas Buddy says the rising prices stem from the rising tensions in the Middle East. Experts believe there is less oil coming out of the Middle East which may drive prices up to $5 a gallon in a few months. Gas Buddy's advice is to be easy on the gas and the brakes, which will help you save fuel.
