Record gas prices in the state have forced many people like Cory Broussard to cut back. Chico resident Cory Broussard said, "I can't even fill up right now you know i just put in 15 dollars there 15 dollars here just trying to make it you know."
For others cutting back doesn't mean monitoring how much goes in the tank it's how much the tank is used. Chico resident Liah Guibry said, "we try to limit our time and how much gas we have so like we say oh we're going to go one place and we only have a certain amount of time to do that to get home so we'll have gas for the next couple of days."
Retail prices surged by more than 50 cents a gallon last week and wholesale prices rose by almost a dollar a gallon after a series of refinery mishaps pinched supplies. according to triple a the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the state was only up three-tenths of a cent today which marked the lowest one-day increase since prices began to spike at the beginning of last week. That was still enough of an increase for drivers like Chico resident Melissa Salas to start sharing rides, "car pool with a lot of friends if your all going to one place just all car pool together and it wastes less gas and you can all pitch in for the gas," she said.
That isn't all Salas is doing to conserve on fuel she also said, "I started off taking the bus and then through out the whole entire summer I would ride my bike pretty much everywhere."
Even though officials expect prices to fall now that Governor Brown has ordered the early release of winter blend gasoline Cory is still doing some spring cleaning Cory said, "I cleaned out my car to get better gas mileage, I emptied the trunk, I had a flat spare tire in there that I took out you know just any little bit really helps."
Analysts say it could still take a few days for prices to go down depending on how quickly refineries can get the winter-blend to market. In the meantime drivers say they'll do what they can to conserve until the state can pump out better prices.
On Sunday Senator Dianne Feinstine called for a federal trade commission to investigate gasoline trading markets and establish a new oversight committee. Yesterday Senator Barbara Boxer asked the department of justice to investigate the issue as well.
