Holy Gas Prices! Where to Get Best Deal in Central New York

Talk about sticker shock. Prices at the pump have skyrocketed across the country, including Central New York. So where can you find the best deal? We've got the answer along with a few tips to help you save on your gas mileage.

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has jumped nearly 25 cents in the last week to $3.83, according to AAA. In New York, it's $4.05 a gallon, over a dollar more than a year ago. The highest price at the pump was $4.30 back in 2008 and we may sail way past that soon.

Patrick De Haan at GasBuddy predicted some U.S. cities would reach $5 a gallon "in the next couple of weeks" on February 28 and it's already happened.

Prices spiked after a new round of U.S. sanctions targeted Russia's oil-refinery sector, which is home to 12% of the world's crude oil supply. Crude oil prices rose to the highest in 10 years to $120 a barrel before dropping down to $112.75.

"We think the Russia-Ukraine war will intensify global and U.S. inflation pressures by pushing up oil and gas prices," Brian Coulton, chief economist with credit rating agency Fitch, told CBS News.

Central New York Gas Prices

In Central New York you're paying anywhere from $3.99 to $4.99 a gallon. So you'll need to shop around a bit to find the cheapest gas.

The Sunoco on East Dominic Street in Rome was at $3.69 a gallon Thursday, March 3. But only if you were paying cash. Credit costs $3.79. That's still a deal considering most places are now over $4.00 a gallon.

Utica Gas Prices

In Utica, you'll pay a little more. Prices vary from as high as $4.19 at Speedway on North Genesee Street to the cheapest, $3.85 at the Sunoco on Genesee Street. If you have the BJ's membership, you can fill it up for only $3.75.

The lowest price in Utica/Rome is at the Citgo in Westmoreland where prices were $3.66 a day ago. Keep in mind, that may have gone up overnight.

The Syracuse area is where you'll find the best prices. The average is $3.59 at most gas stations, but there are a few places you can fill up for a little less.

$3.44 - Fairmount Citgo
$3.49 - Camillus Sunoco
$3.54 - Liverpool Pilot

Find the cheapest prices for gas at Gas Buddy, where you can even break it down by county or town.

How to Save

AAA has several fuel-saving tips:

• Fill up at places you have a membership like Costco or BJ's
• Carpool to work and school
• Plan ahead to get all your errands done at once or shop online
• Slow down. Speeds over 50mph cause aerodynamic drag, dropping fuel economy significantly
• Soft feet: Avoid jackrabbit starts and hard acceleration
• Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine, even in winter. AAA says it’s unnecessary and wastes fuel
• Use cruise control to maintain a constant speed and save fuel