Experts say gas prices to continue rising as summer blends arrive

Warmer temps expected to drive up gas prices

Gas price analysts are warning drivers in the D.C. region that prices could be in for another surge.

The reason behind this jump is new blends of fuel that will soon begin arriving for the summer.

Industry analysts tell Fox 5's Tom Fitzgerald that these new summer blends should start arriving at stations in April. They are expected to add another 10 cents to the already high price of gas.

"They are certainly cleaner burning but they are typically more expensive to produce which translates to about a 10-15 cent increase from what some consumers see at the pump," Ragina Ali with AAA Mid-Atlantic tells Fox 5.

Experts say the blend reformulation is done to prevent gas from evaporating when temperatures rise in the Summer. AAA experts say this change is an annual event, but this year, it will be felt more because of the already record high prices.

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Lawmakers are considering options to lessen the impact on consumers, including pausing gas taxes. Some lawmakers, like Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, believe other ideas should be explored.

"Dropping the federal gas tax would stop money from going into the transportation trust fund for some time but if it doesn’t actually drop well then maybe there’s better strategies and maybe we better explore those" Kaine said.

Viewers Fox 5 spoke with had mixed feelings about the expected summer gas prices. Some say the switchover to summer gas blends should be delayed because gas prices are so high already. But, others believe the increase will have a small impact on the already record high prices.

Once the summer blends arrive, gas stations in the area will keep them in use until September 15th.