(WXYZ) — U.S. oil prices just jumped above $90 a barrel for the first time since 2014 and that has gas prices soaring.
The average price for gas in metro Detroit is $3.35 per gallon. The average statewide is $3.36.
Last week gas was sitting at $3.22 a gallon and last year Michiganders were paying only $2.44 per gallon.
Now when it comes time to fill up gas tanks, many residents are dreading it because it costs them too much.
"I only put $31 in there and it ain't even give me a half a tank of gas," Delores Tillman said.
And that $31.33 is all that Delores is willing to put into her car.
"It cost too much," she said. "And then I just used my debit card so that is what $3.39 a gallon."
That's 3 cents higher than the state average for gas.
Adrienne Woodland with triple AAA says gas prices may continue to climb.
"It's about $3.36 for regular unleaded. That's up 14 cents just since Monday," she said.
Drivers are now pinching pennies forcing them to shop around for cheaper prices at the pump.
Carol Montgomery of Southfield says gas is way too expensive on the westside.
"I generally travel to East 7 Mile and they are much lower," she said.
In November the Biden administration attempted to reduce prices at the pump by ordering a record-setting 50 million barrels of oil released from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve, but this barely put a dent into the price per gallon.
Energy prices from gasoline to natural gas and more have been a major driver behind inflation with these prices surging by 7% since December.
In Wayne County, the average cost of gas per gallon is $3.32. In Macomb County, it's $3.35 and in Oakland County $3.39.
"Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor are typically the ones that stay at the highest but sometimes can be at the lowest," Woodland said.
But, many metro Detroiters are just looking for a steady price with no surprises.
"Find a spot and just stay there instead of going up and down," Calvin Adams of Detroit said. "It's hard on our pockets."
