Indiana Records Sharp Gas Increase
STATEWIDE— Gas prices are climbing toward five dollars a gallon across Indiana as rising global tensions and a labor strike at the Whiting refinery add pressure to already high fuel costs.
AAA reports Indiana’s average gas price sits at $4.41 as of Thursday, but many people across central Indiana say they are paying much more at the pump.
“Just gotta go, you know, hope and pray it goes down,” one driver said. “It feels like highway robbery. I don’t think they care about American people. It’s hard to get by because it costs way too much.”
Crude oil prices climbed to $126 a barrel after President Trump committed to continuing the blockade, topping the $122 mark seen under President Joe Biden after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Drivers also point to diesel prices as a growing strain.
“Six dollars a gallon for diesel is way too much,” another driver said. “It makes me really mad because diesel keeps going up while gas is coming down.”
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita had promised Hoosiers a way to watch for possible price gouging, but the state’s Fuel Watch tool only updates gas prices three times a day at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m.
For many people who rely on fuel for work and daily travel, the impact goes beyond the pump.
“It affects everything,” one person said. “You don’t go to the grocery store like you usually can. You don’t do as much with your family. You’ve got to cut some bills down just to make it work.”
Indiana now leads the nation with the largest weekly jump in gas prices, with costs rising 84 cents in just one week, according to new data.
“They’re ridiculous,” said a single mother who commutes from Plainfield to Indianapolis every day. “I spent about $250 going and coming to work a week. The prices are just crazy.”
