With school back in full swing students are feeling the pressures in class and at at the pump. Gas stations closest to I-25 are the highest in Laramie, while gas stations toward the middle of town are lower.
As the price of gas continues to rise nationally, prices remain relatively low in Wyoming and its surrounding areas.
Although gas prices are increasing throughout the Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming, the state continues to have some of the lowest prices in the country.
As of Monday, the average price of gas in the United States was $3.85 per gallon and the average price in the Rockies was $3.70 per gallon.
Some of the most expensive prices in the country are in California, where a Mobil gas station in West Covina was selling regular unleaded fuel for $4.99 per gallon, according to www.californiagasprices.com.
The lowest gas prices in California were marked at $3.85 per gallon.
California’s gas prices have actually increased about 24 cents since last year, with prices increasing by less than a penny since just within the last week, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration website www.eia.gov.
However, even with some of the lowest prices in the country, gas prices may vary dramatically within in the same town.
In Laramie, prices tend to fluctuate depending on the side of town.
At Kum and Go and Exxon, gas prices for regular unleaded fuel were $3.45 per gallon. On the other side of town, Shell’s gas prices were $3.69 per gallon for regular unleaded.
Gas prices also tend to change depending on the station’s proximity to the interstate in Laramie.
Conoco Phillips, located just off the exit onto Third Street was charging $3.80 per gallon for regular unleaded and $4.04 for premium gasoline as of Tuesday.
Down the road, Kum and Go charged $3.65 for premium on the same day.
Even with an increase of a quarter of a penny for diesel prices in the Rocky Mountains, prices are still lower than much of the nation with an average of $4.24 a gallon.
In Laramie, diesel costs were as low as $4.09 a gallon at Conoco Phillips on Tuesday, while in California and Colorado prices were between $4.42 and $4.36 a gallon respectively, according to the EIA.
When it comes to gas prices, consumers are not just paying for the product itself.
For regular gasoline, the price of crude oil makes up 65 percent, refining is 15 percent, distribution and marketing is eight percent and taxes are another 12 percent, according to the EIA.
For diesel, the price is made up of 60 percent for crude oil, 15 percent refining, 12 percent for distribution and marketing, and 13 percent for taxes.
