BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Gas prices keep climbing, and drivers are feeling the pinch with every fill-up. The rising cost has forced a tough choice for some: switching to lower-grade fuel just to make it through the week.
Amit Cheema, manager at Tobbins Gas Station in Bakersfield, said there have even been days when they have had to change the price more than once during a 24 hour time period.
"Everyday they are going up. Sometimes we change them twice a day, when we get our deliveries the prices may go up so we have to change ours too. Sometimes we might get two deliveries a day. We are also seeing a shortage in gas, our deliveries are starting to come way less," Cheema said.
Cheema said more drivers are making the switch from regular or plus fuel to E-85, a lower-grade blend with about 83% ethanol mixed with gasoline, driven largely by its price savings.
But there is a catch: E-85 is only designed for flex-fuel vehicles. If your car is not one, you could be damaging your engine and facing costly repairs down the road.
"Since the gas prices have gone up within the last two weeks, we have noticed to see more people are switching to the E-85 fuel. We are selling more of that than before. Our gas sales have started to drop especially our premium sales. People are switching from premium to like regular or the mid grade," Cheema said.
According to Consumer Watchdog, some drivers are starting to feel like oil refineries are treating them like ATMs, cashing in simply because they can amid the recent surge in fuel prices.
Alyssa Wolfer from the engineering firm Agilitech said the issue is tied to broader supply chain factors.
"What's really happening here is people are trying to manage rising cost at the consumer level. While the system itself has become more dependent on imported oil. California now imports the majority of the crude it refines, even as Kern County remains central to in-state production," Wolfer said.
Cheema warned that supply issues could soon impact drivers directly.
"I think in another two weeks or more. A lot of people are going to face pumps not having enough gas. We are starting to see with our trucks, before it would be like six a week and now we are down to three a week cutting down to half," Cheema said.
There is no clear timeline for when gas prices will return to normal, but drivers should be aware the fuel you choose today can impact your vehicle down the road.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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