Belleville has some of the highest gas prices in IL. Here’s how to save money on fuel
The average cost of gas in Illinois is down compared to where it was a week ago, but drivers in St. Clair County and Belleville are still pay among the highest prices in Illinois.
Last week, President Joe Biden announced he was authorizing an “unprecedented” release of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but experts predict that will only have a modest impact on prices at the pump.
Here’s a breakdown of where the average cost per gallon of gas currently stands in Illinois and Belleville, sourced from AAA figures.
You can also read on for tips on how to save fuel and get a look at the record-breaking profits oil companies are expected to rake in this year.
What’s the current average price for gas in Illinois?
The current average in Illinois is $4.43 per gallon of regular grade fuel.
That is down from the average one week ago: $4.49 per gallon. That said, Illinois drivers in general are paying more than the national average, which currently sits at $4.189. The highest recorded average for Illinois was $4.57 per gallon of gas — and that wasn’t long ago — on March 11.
President Biden’s extended release of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve — 1 million barrels of oil a day over the next six months — is likely to have some downward impact on the price of gas, but the global oil market remains volatile, AAA notes.
How much are drivers in Belleville and St. Clair County paying compared to the rest of the state?
Drivers in St. Clair County face some of the highest gas prices in Illinois, according to figures tracked by AAA.
The average in St. Clair County was $4.44 cents per gallon Monday, while in nearby Clinton and Madison counties, the average was $4.27 per gallon.
What’s the latest action Biden is taking to bring down gas prices?
Thursday, Biden revealed he was signing off on the release of more than 180 million barrels to bring down costs for drivers at the gas pump.
These barrels are being taken from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is stored at four facilities along the Gulf Coast, two sites in Louisiana and two in Texas, in a network of artificial caverns. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “a typical cavern holds 10 million barrels and is cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 200 feet and a height of 2,500 feet.”
The release is unprecedented, with Biden calling it “by far the largest release from our national reserve in our history.” The release represents about 5% of all U.S. demand.
The president also warned oil companies they could face fines if they don’t pump on land they’ve leashed from the federal government.
“Right now, the oil and gas industry is sitting on nearly 9,000 unused but approved permits for production on federal lands. There are more than [12] million unused acres they have a right to — to pump on,” Biden said.
In response, the Center for Biological Diversity said Biden’s moves “will deepen our dependence on fossil fuels and open the floodgates to more oil and gas extraction when we should be going in the opposite direction,” according to a statement it gave to Democracy Now!
Biden also accused U.S. oil companies of gouging consumers at the gas pump: “For U.S. oil companies that are recording their largest profits in years, they have a choice. One, they can put those profits to productive use by producing more oil, restarting idle wells or producing on the sites they already are leasing — giving the American people a break by passing some of the savings on to their customers and lowering the price at the pump.”
A new report by Oil Change International projects U.S. oil and gas companies could rake in as much as $126 billion in windfall profits this year.
That said, there are some steps you can take to save money at the gas pump.
How to save money at the gas pump
The website GasBuddy uses crowd-sourced data to offer users a look at the cheapest places to fill up locally.
As of Monday, the cheapest station in or around Belleville appeared to be at the Sam’s Club at 1350 West US-50 in O’Fallon.
AAA has also rounded up a list of tips and good habits you can practice to optimize your gas consumption. That means slowing down and driving the speed limit, avoiding sudden starts and stops and idling as little as possible.
“If your car will be stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine to save fuel. Many newer cars have automatic engine stop-start systems that do this,” AAA said.
This story was originally published April 4, 2022 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Belleville has some of the highest gas prices in IL. Here’s how to save money on fuel."