Can we still talk about seasons in our corner of Europe? In mid-July it can be about 16 degrees with heavy downpours, while we can safely celebrate Sinterklaas outside under the roof. Yes, our globe is getting warmer; and the ever-rising temperatures are also not favorable for the paying customer at the pump. Apparently gas prices go up when it’s hot.
Tom Kloza works as an energy analyst at OPIS, a company that monitors energy prices. He docks NBC News why it is that gasoline prices are higher when it is warm. ‘You have many refineries that squeak and creak. They can’t actually do 100 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to fifteen days [37,8 graden Celsius] work in succession,” says Kloza.
Higher gas prices are not just due to the weather
When it gets too hot to continue pumping, production comes to a standstill. As a result, there is less supply, but the demand remains the same. You understand that this leads to higher prices at the pump. If it were only due to the weather, prices would not fall again until autumn. And the weather potentially has even more influence on gasoline prices: if the hurricane season is against us, refineries can produce even less and prices rise even more.
Unfortunately, warmer or colder weather is not the only factor affecting gas prices. The Middle East has been cutting back on oil production for some time now. Saudi Arabia is expected to continue this at least until September. There is also the conflict in Ukraine and Russia. In the meantime, possibilities to become independent of Russian oil are being looked at.
#gasoline #prices #higher #weather #warm