South Carolina drivers will pay an average of $3.03 per gallon of regular gasoline this month versus $2.01 last year. This is a 50.6 percent increase equaling $1.02 per gallon.
Of the 10 South Carolina metropolitan areas analyzed, drivers in Hilton Head-Bluffton faced the largest price hike at the pump in the last year of $59.42. Columbia was spared the worst pain, with the price of gas rising $48.36 from January 2021 to January 2022.
Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) had his eye on gas price hikes back in September, 2021.
“Gas prices have increased more than 40% since this time last year. This administration is standing by as inflation continues to hurt everyday Americans,” Scott said on Twitter.
Gas prices across the US hit a seven-year high following a significant drop at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The price of gas, derived from the cost of oil manufactured around the world, has the power to substantially change the free market and influence many industries.
A short-term outlook report from the US Energy Information Administration predicted gas rates will fall throughout 2022.
South Carolina drivers average 1,245.1 miles and use 51.4 gallons of gasoline per month, according to the FHA.
| Market | 2022 | 2021 | CHG | % | Total increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head-Bluffton | $3.22 | $2.06 | $1.16 | 56.1% | $59.42 |
| Greenville | $3.06 | $1.97 | $1.09 | 55.3% | $56.03 |
| Spartanburg | $3.01 | $1.99 | $1.02 | 51.4% | $52.53 |
| Rock Hill | $2.98 | $1.96 | $1.02 | 51.9% | $52.43 |
| Aiken-Edgfield County | $3.05 | $2.03 | $1.01 | 49.8% | $52.07 |
| Florence | $3.03 | $2.04 | $0.99 | 48.3% | $50.73 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $3.05 | $2.07 | $0.97 | 47.0% | $50.11 |
| Myrtle Beach | $3 | $2.03 | $0.97 | 47.7% | $49.91 |
| Sumter | $2.91 | $1.96 | $0.95 | 48.6% | $48.93 |
| Columbia | $2.96 | $2.02 | $0.94 | 46.5% | $48.36 |
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