Lines appearing at gas stations with the lowest prices

Southwest Florida gas stations with the lowest prices have begun to see people lining up to get the best deal.

People at a Costco gas station said they waited more than 30 minutes to get to the pumps where they could save some money on gas. Some people haven’t seen gas prices like these “since I was in high school in the ’70s,” said Mark Winburn.

A manager from the store said they had seen lines every day since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The wait is worth it for people like Mike Cain, who is visiting from Indiana. “Say tomorrow it goes up to $4.79. I mean, I’ll be glad I did this, you know,” said Cain.

Higher gas prices aren’t the only way rising oil prices hit your wallet. FGCU Economist Victor Claar said higher transportation costs would also increase the prices on your next shopping trip. “Anything that requires transportation of any kind is probably going to be more expensive,” said Claar.

Price increases that are passed on to you, the consumer. Claar said uncertainty over what’s happening in Ukraine isn’t helping. “If you know, for example, that your cost of producing anything was going to be 20% higher six months from now, you might begin increasing prices today,” said Claar.

It’s a significant hit, especially for those in the ride-sharing industry. “Oh, it’s killing me. It’s killing everybody,” said David Arco, who owns a transportation service.

Drivers said they are still making the same money on fares. So, making ends meet is a challenge when it takes more to fill up. “Last night, it cost me $65. And then it cost me another $30 today to top it off,” said Arco.

It is not all doom and gloom. According to Claar, “this is not a time to panic. We get most of our gas from Canada. Our other two leading suppliers are Mexico and Saudi Arabia.”

WINK News reached out to local power companies to see if they anticipate any price increases.

LCEC responded and said they don’t generate their fuel. Instead, they purchase it from Florida Power and Light. Price increases are typically passed on to consumers. However, LCEC said they are not aware of any price increases in the short term.