You’re getting stung by higher gas prices even if you don’t drive

Getting around without a car felt pretty good when prices at the pump rose to an average of more than $ 5 per liter nationwide.

But it’s not just drivers who feel the pain at the pump.

Companies are also seeing their costs increase, and at least some, if not all, are passed on to consumers, whether as a fuel surcharge or price increase.

At this stage, the impact of higher gas prices is almost impossible to avoid.

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed crude oil prices higher just as fuel demand picked up, leading to an increasingly tight oil market and sending gas prices to new highs.

Although the national average for a liter of ordinary petrol fell to $ 4.68 on Monday after the record $ 5,016 hit in June, prices are still significantly higher than the $ 3.14 seen a year ago, according to data from AAA .

Uber and Lyft have already tackled a temporary surcharge for rides, while airlines are raising tariffs to cover their fuel costs.

Grocers and delivery services, such as Instacart and FreshDirect, charge an extra fee, as do shippers such as UPS and FedEx, based on the average price per liter of diesel – one of their biggest single costs.

Even Amazon jumped on the bandwagon in April and, for the first time, began charging retailers a 5% fuel and inflation surcharge, which could mean higher costs for consumers as businesses try to pass on some of those extra expenses.

In fact, the price of any goods transported on a truck, train or ship can be affected.

“Anything transported over long distances will have to pay for it at the end of the day,” says Ted Rossman, a senior operations analyst at CreditCards.com. “Often the consumer pays the bill.

“Somehow we see higher costs due to higher gas prices,” Rossman said.

“I do not expect the co-payments to disappear any time soon,” says Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

“For things like carpooling, pizza delivery, groceries, airline tickets, packages, house building, vehicles, everything is affected by rising fuel costs, especially because we have broken through record levels,” said De Haan.

There is a reason why gas prices are rising fast but falling slowly, and this is mostly due to the available supply and the need to hedge against future volatility, but it also means that even so-called temporary co-payments can take a while.

Otherwise, consider making considerations, such as postponing a major ticket purchase or switching to a less expensive replacement.

Add money-saving applications or browser extensions like Rakuten for more cash-back offers or Cently, which automatically applies coupon codes to your online orders.

“I’ll pull some of these levers to reduce the sting, even if you get stuck paying higher prices,” Rossman said.

How do rising gas prices and other costs affect your household? Here’s how to calculate your personal inflation rate.

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