Albert, in Homer Glen, said he believes gas prices are "ridiculous" every where in the nation in the current economy. | Provided Photo from Mike Koolidge
Albert, in Homer Glen, said he believes gas prices are "ridiculous" every where in the nation in the current economy. | Provided Photo from Mike Koolidge
Gasoline prices throughout the state of Illinois reached record highs in June and remained higher than the national average as prices dropped throughout the month of July.
The reason for this is twofold: 1) EPA standards mandate that the state of Illinois burn a cleaner blend of gasoline throughout the summer months; and 2) the state raised its gas tax again in 2021, giving Illinois the second-highest gas taxes in the nation, according to the American Petroleum Institute.
The national gasoline average price has dipped to $4.33 per gallon, 37% higher than this time last year. A recent American Automobile Association (AAA) report noted that the decrease was the result of a drop in demand for oil. After reaching record highs in June, demand in the first week of July dropped by 9.7% to 8.73 million barrels per day.
The People Who Play By The Rules PAC (PBR) spoke to area residents about the impact of current gasoline prices.
“I filled up in Wisconsin last night for $4.09, I just saw it on 127th and LaGrange for $5.59,” Albert, a resident of Homer Glen, told PBR. “That’s ridiculous…Everybody is hurting. Everybody is hurting.”
NBC Chicago noted in a recent report that Illinois gas consumers continue to pay more than the national average, even as the state saw a 7.5% decrease in price that was larger than the national 6.5% decrease in July.
Across the country, only California has a higher gasoline tax than Illinois, a Peoria Journal Star report said. Illinois motorists pay 78 cents before any local taxes are added, compared with California’s 86.55 cents.
While decreased demand is keeping prices down, AAA noted that summer driving could push demand back up, and prices at the pump along with it.
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