Mar 14, 2016 2 min read

Drivers this past weekend might have noticed gas prices increased to about $1.99 a gallon in many areas, seemingly overnight.

However, according to Don Bowers, head of transportation and petroleum products at fuel distributor Countywide Petroleum, the increase wasn’t as sudden as it might have seemed.

“You might have seen the increase over the weekend, but it’s been taking place over the last two or three weeks,” Bowers explained.

Bowers said the true cause of the increase is actually typical for this time of year. It is caused by a change to Reid vapor pressure gasoline, which is required in the Pittsburgh area during summer months to reduce emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone.

Retailers in Allegheny and surrounding counties must sell RVP gasoline beginning May 1 according to Bowers. In March and April, supply tanks have to be emptied of gasoline used during winter months and rolled over multiple times in preparation for RVP gasoline supplies. Bowers said this process causes a temporary shortage in gasoline supply for retailers.

“It’s an inventory problem,” said Bowers. “It is certainly not the crude supply. There is more crude in the market than there has been in years.”

Bowers said gas prices might go up intermittently until the supply situation is resolved, but he expects the prices to remain between $1.99 and $2.50 for the next few months.

“I don’t think – unless we have some real problems develop – that we’ll have gas prices go over $2.50 for the summer,” Bowers said.

Bowers also noted it’s been “a pretty good year for the consumer,” and distributors hope it stays that way.

“We as distributors do not like high gasoline prices,” explained Bowers. “We have to pay the same as the consumer does.

“We’re all in for the low gasoline prices.”