SHORT PUMP, Va. — The average price for a gallon of gas in Richmond on Thursday was $4.65, which is down three cents from Wednesday. But Virginians are still paying $1.73 more for a gallon of gas compared to a year ago as June 30 marked the first day of Fourth of July weekend travel, according to AAA.
Morgan Dean with AAA Mid-Atlantic recommended drivers to start thinking about ways to conserve on gasoline before the holiday weekend.
“Think about how you’re packing the car. It can be like a game of Tetris,” he explained. “Putting those items in the car versus on a car top carrier — even if it’s an aerodynamic car top carrier — will drag on the vehicle and it’s going to bring down your miles per gallon.”
He urged drivers to get the vehicle checked before driving off like topping off fluids, oil changes and tire checks.
“If those tires are under inflated, you could be losing about 3% of your miles per gallon,” Dean stated.
AAA also urged Virginia drivers traveling south this weekend to consider purchasing gas in states like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia where the gas is cheaper.
Virginia’s price per gallon is a better deal if you’re traveling north.
Kroger grocery stores are also offering a temporary solution to the record high gas prices.
“We are currently offering four times fuel points on gift card purchases through July 12. You can get your gas down as little as a penny a gallon, which is significant savings,” said Kroger Mid-Atlantic Corporate Affairs Manager James Menees.
The customer must download a coupon from the Kroger store websiteor their app. Menees shared gas pump photos with CBS 6 revealing one driver recently purchased 35 gallons of gasoline for $3.46 using their savings.
Kier Townsend always looks for the best deals when buying gasoline.
He filled up at the Kroger Fuel Center in Short Pump on Thursday where fuel is $4.58 for a gallon of unleaded gas.
“I come to this Kroger because it has the best price in my opinion,” Townsend said. “Back then it didn’t really matter, but now it’s like you must be selective where you’re going. Like what vacations are you going to take if you end up driving.”
Townsend left for the Navy six months ago and returned to Central Virginia to find record high gas prices.
“In an inflationary environment, customers are absolutely looking to stretch their budget and save money,” Menees stated.
