Minnesotans Feeling Pain At The Pump As Gas Prices Continue To Soar
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (WCCO) -- Sticker shock at the pump. The national average for a gallon of regular gas sits at $4 nationwide.
In the Twin Cities, the average is at $3.77 a gallon.
On Monday, Congress started taking steps to possibly block all Russian imports. But what could that mean for skyrocketing gas prices?
In Eden Prairie, Ashley Holt said that it now costs her about $80 to fill up her car.
"It's insane, as they keep going up it's harder to balance working and paying for gas," he said.
The pain hits station owners, too.
In the past two weeks as prices have soared, business is down dramatically. Shiloh Stone operation leader Gary DeRusha said higher prices have resulted in a big drop in business.
"People are staying home, they are working from home, the volume at this station in the last two weeks is down 18 to 22%," DeRusha said.
The average gas price in the Twin Cities is $3.77, a week ago it was $3.45, and a month ago it was $3.28. Last year at this time, gas was at $2.69 a gallon.
With Congress now moving towards a possible ban of all Russian energy imports to further punish President Vladimir Putin for the war in Ukraine, prices are expected to continue increasing.
Jenna Sargent spent more than $51 at the pump on Monday.
"I always fill up at one quarter of a tank, so that is not a full tank," she said.
Sargent told WCCO-TV that she supports more sanctions even if it means even higher prices.
"If there are sanctions that are causing it, we are all in this together and if higher gas prices are helping save lives over there then I would definitely pay them."
So far, President Biden has not supported cutting all Russian energy imports.