SC gas prices approach record highs: Up 57 cents in a month, $1.50+ from 2021
As the busy Memorial Day and travel season nears, gas prices in South Carolina have spiked more than 50 cents in a month to all-time high, officials said.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in South Carolina is around $4.30, according to AAA Carolinas. That price is up around 57 cents a gallon in a month and more than $1.50 per gallon higher than the same time in 2021, AAA statistics show.
Some York County stations in early April before Easter had gas for around $3.37 a gallon -- almost $1 a gallon less than current prices.
AAA and GasBuddy, a gas price online site, show several places in York County with gas a few cents cheaper than the state average as people fill up for travel to beaches and getaways.
Gas was reported as low as $4.12 at one station in Rock Hill and around $4.19 in other places in York County, GasBuddy online figures showed Friday morning.
GasBuddy reported one Lancaster County gas station on Pageland Highway had gas late Thursday for as low as $3.99 a gallon, but the next cheapest was reported as $4.18.
Chester County stations reported similar prices with reported lows of $4.19 Friday morning, GasBuddy online figures showed.
South Carolina gas prices remain cheaper than neighboring North Carolina, where the average price is $4.38 per gallon, according to AAA.
Gas prices for Memorial Day are likely to set a new record, AAA Carolinas officials said in a news release. The cost increase is from a combination of tightening global supplies and strong demand, AAA said.
Travel close to pre-Covid-19 levels for Memorial Day
Even with gas so expensive, AAA and South Carolina police agencies expect Memorial Day travel to reach levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic started in early 2020.
Around 90 percent of travelers will head out by car, AAA said.
The S.C. Department of Public Safety said it will have a special enforcement period from Monday through June 5 that focuses on seat belt safety and other measures, according to a statement from public safety director Robert Woods IV. The S.C. Highway Patrol and other state and local police agencies annually participate in increased enforcement during what police call the “100 Deadly Days if summer that run generally from before Memorial Day through after Labor Day.
“The ‘100 Deadly Days of Summer’ kicks off Memorial Day weekend and it’s historically when we see an increase in the number of people killed on our roadways,” Woods said. “SCDPS troopers and officers are urging motorists to buckle up and ensure every passenger is buckled up — whether driving close to home or taking a long summer road trip.”
