‘I just don’t drive anywhere’: As fuel prices climb, Alaskans adjust
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Average gas prices in the state of Alaska reached $5.06 Tuesday, nearly twenty cents higher than last month and seventy cents above the national average, according to AAA.
Diesel prices are soaring at an even higher rate, with Tuesday’s mark of $6.40 sitting nearly a full dollar above last month’s price.
Fueled by increasing unrest in the Middle East, including a wave of attacks by Houthi rebels in Saudi Arabia Monday that damaged infrastructure, crude oil prices worldwide sat at $104.59 per gallon on Tuesday — hurting the wallets of drivers on the other side of the world.
“It’s putting a strain on my family and all of our expenses,” one driver said.
“I just don’t drive anywhere unless I have to,” another said.
The strain can be even more severe for business owners, like construction company owner Jeremy Coke.
“If you’re quoting material and trying to get the cost of goods shipped to Alaska, it might be eight weeks out before those goods hit the dock in Seattle, and your fuel surcharge has gone up X percentage,” Coke explained. “It’s really hard to dial that in. It’s just a moving target...