We are seeing lots of gas stations with signs saying "out of gas," but reportedly the areas away from the coast will be impacted more than our area.
State and local officials are working to combat fuel shortages met with price hikes following the computer hack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline, which carries nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supply.
- The national average price for a gallon of gasoline rose to $2.98 yesterday. That's the highest price in seven years. Panic buying and long lines at gas stations have been reported as concerns grow over the disruption of the giant Colonial Pipeline, which keeps fuel flowing to most of the East Coast. The pipeline operators still hope to restore service by the end of the week. Russian President Vladimir Putin denied any government involvement in the Russian hacker group's attack on the pipeline's network.
Parker’s has announced a $50 limit on fuel purchases for all customers. Keith Harvin, vice president of Parker’s, urged that people in Savannah and the Lowcountry don’t need to worry about a potential gas shortage since there are multiple fuel sources near the Savannah and Charleston shipping ports. However, a temporary price increase will still be a reality. “I think you’ll start seeing small increases, but if this thing lasts for a week or so, prices could turn up fast,” Harvin said.
As a result of the cyber-attack, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning, and suspended state taxes on motor fuels through Saturday to offset increasing prices. Georgia collects a gasoline tax of 28.7 cents a gallon and a diesel tax of 32.2 cents a gallon.
In Georgia and South Carolina, price gouging statutes have now been activated.
Any violators could be charged for excessive pricing, with a fine of up to $5,000 in Georgia. In South Carolina, the offense is punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or 30 days in jail.
To find gas in your area visit tracker.gasbuddy.com (or download the gas buddy app)
Consumers can report suspected price gouging using the following:
- For Georgia, call1-800-869-1123or complete the online complaint form on the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Division’s website, consumer.ga.gov.
- For South Carolina, call803-737-3953, fill out a form onscag.govor email any examples or documentation topricegouging@scag.gov.