Rising Gas Prices Costing Commuters Thousands Per Year
By ABC-7 Reporter Darren Hunt
Gas prices are up for the 15th consecutive day.
The average in El Paso is $3.75 per gallon and these soaring prices are causing pain at the pump and changing our everyday lives, including the lives of ABC-7 employees.
Monday through Friday, ABC-7 Assignment Editor Chris Babcock drives all the way from Horizon City to our studios in West El Paso.
“It’s 26 miles from my front door to the front door at Channel 7,” Babcock said. “It’s a pretty big drive. Usually I fill up once every 7 days.”
We did some simple math to figure out how much that costs him. At an average of $3.75 per gallon, Babcock is spending about 56 dollars per week to fill his 15 gallon tank. By comparison, a year ago, at $3.25 per gallon, it cost him just under 49 dollars. But five years ago, with gas prices of about $1.50 per gallon, he could fill up for just $22.50.
What kind of impact has that had on his wallet?
At today’s prices, Babcock will spend nearly $3,000 on gas this year. That’s about $400 more than a year ago and an incredible $1,755 more than five years ago.
“If I do the math right, that’s probably as much as I paid for my first car,” Babcock said. “I guess as you’re paying for things going through life, you don’t realize how much you’re paying, but now you’re starting to feel it in your wallet.”
