“So far so good,” when it comes to making the transition to touch screen gas pumps at the Humm-Dinger fuel station and convenient store in Wessington Springs, according to Humm-Dinger owner Jason Zacher.
Mark Brueske (shown at left) of Amkota Farm and Home Center lent Zacher (right) a helping hand last week as he took delivery on the new pumps. As part of a required Conoco station upgrade, Zacher said that the installation of the new pumps went smoothly.
While the convenience of touchscreen technology is a welcome addition to the Wessington Springs c-store, the price at the pump — locally and across the nation — is not. As of May 24, 2022, the local prices at Humm-Dinger for unleaded and diesel were $4.09 and $5.09 respectively. The AAA National Gas Price Average for regular was $4.598 and the diesel average came in at $5.549.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas has not fallen for nearly a month. Gasoline has either remained flat or risen every day since April 24 and has set a new record daily since May 10. That was the day gas eclipsed the previous record high of $4.33, set earlier this year on March 11. The national average for a gallon of gasoline is now $4.59 and all 50 states are above $4 per gallon.
“Gasoline is $1.05 more than it was on February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “That sent shock waves through the oil market that have kept oil costs elevated. Domestically, meanwhile, seasonal gas demand is rising as more drivers hit the road, despite the pain they face paying at the pump.”
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by 4.8 million bbl to 220.2 million bbl last week. Meanwhile, gasoline demand increased from 8.7 million b/d to 9 million b/d. Tighter supply and increased demand have pushed pump prices higher. This supply/demand dynamic and volatile crude prices will keep upward pressure on pump prices.