Rhode Island ranks 12th highest average gas price in nation, Mass ranks 14th
Lynne Sladky / AP
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- Everyone is noticing the soaring gas prices. But- if it feels particularly high in Southern New England you’re not wrong.
According to GasBuddy, Rhode Island currently has the 12th highest average gas price for a gallon of gas in the nation. Massachusetts, is not far off, at the 14th highest. Those prices aren’t expected to go down anytime soon.
The national gas price per gallon is $4.06, nearing the all-time high record from July of 2008, when the average price per gallon was $4.11.
Carmine Disanto is the President of Henry Oil Company in Providence. Disanto says while he has no control over the prices, it’s almost embarrassing to tell his customers what the going price of oil is right now.
“I don’t know how people can afford this. I hope that something breaks somewhere,” Disanto says.
In the past week alone, Disanto says prices have gone up over a dollar gallon. At this rate- he won’t be shocked if gas hits $6 a gallon.
He says in a way, we’re lucky with the timing.
“We’re lucky this is happening now and this didn’t happen in December. If this was in December {people would} shut the heat off, pipes would break. It would be a real mess.”
Disanto’s best advice for right now; turn off the heat whenever you can.
The company says on average, homeowners use 750- 1,000 gallons of gas a year to heat a home. With the current prices, this would jack up monthly heating prices by hundreds of dollars.
Currently, there is a bill being reviewed in the House Finance Committee in Rhode Island to eliminate gas tax in 2022. If this was to be signed by Governor McKee, that would save people 35 cents a gallon through December.
