‘I’m running on like two more miles:’ Gas prices challenge UTEP students’ budgets
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — For many students attending the University of Texas at El Paso, trips to the gas station have challenged their budgeting. Students' commutes vary as many live in Far East El Paso or across the border in Ciudad Juárez.
Some student drivers admitted to pushing their luck by riding on fumes and letting the gas light stay on until payday, adding unnecessary wear and tear to their vehicles.
National and statewide gas price averages are pointing toward what could be the most expensive September on record. El Paso isn't quite at it's all-time high, which was $4.90 in June 2022.
However, El Paso has the highest gas prices out of all major metro areas, according to Daniel Armbruster from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Armbruster said prices in El Paso sit at an average of $4.41 per gallon. The state average is above $4.
The shock factor extends heavily to commercial and personal diesel drivers. Right now, the average price for diesel in El Paso reached $6.20 per gallon -- higher than the national average of $5.96.
The root of the hike in prices lies overseas. West Texas Intermediate crude oil settled above $102 a barrel. It's driven by ongoing global market volatility and supply concerns surround the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for global crude oil supplies.
"You know, historically what goes up must come down," said Armbruster. "But when you have a major development involving the Strait of Hormuz, it makes it really difficult to say if the prices will drop given that the situation is so fluid."
UTEP student Michelle White said she had to pick up a full-time job to cover her gas expenses.
"When they get too high. I choose to ignore them until they get lower. And then I go get gas," White said. "I'm running on like two more miles before I go get gas. And that's when I go get it."
Armbruster advised against straining vehicles' gas tank.
"Driver behavior is the number one factor when it comes to maximizing your fuel efficiency," he said.
White said a "good portion" of her paycheck goes toward filling her tank.
"The job hurts me with how much I time I have for studying," White added.
