Gas prices creep closer to $4 in WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Have you filled up your gas tank in the last few days?  It seems like the price goes up while even while you are pumping!

You probably did a double take the last time you filled up your gas tank.

Why has the price of a gallon gotten so high?

In the last week along, average gas prices in Buffalo have risen by 4.5 cents to around $3.80 per gallon according to buffalogasprices.com.

"It's kind of ridiculous I think but it is what it is," said James Blackwell.

Paul Chin added, "For a week's amount of gas it would cost me about $160 dollars Canadian."

One explanation oil companies have offered is the recent turmoil in Iran. After the European union offered sanctions on Iran's nuclear program, Iran cut off crude oil exports to Britain and France. Now there is fear that it could spread that embargo to other countries too.

However the United States' top three suppliers of crude oil are Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

The prices are inching ever so closely to the $4.00 mark in Buffalo.

So to a lot of penny pincher consumers that explanation doesn't make sense.

"We have oil back in Alberta (Canada). We are paying too much in the States. I don't understand why we have to pay so much," said Chin.

The differences in various states and cities is also questionable. We are at almost $4.00 in Buffalo and only about $3.50 on the Reservation in Irving.

The national average is near that $3.50 mark and they are pushing $5.00 on the west coast leaving some Americans to believe that it is nothing more than price gouging.

J.B. Williams said, "They are realizing that if people are late to work or having family issues and are just trying to live and you stop where you stop, so you don't run out of gas."

You can always find out which local gas stations have the lowest prices , on WIVB.com.  News 4's iPhone and Android app also have a section to help you locate the cheapest gas prices in WNY.