Higher gas prices driving up costs for local businesses
THE GIRLS OUT. BOB HAZEN WESH TWO NEWS. ALL RIGHT, TAKING A LIVE LOOK OVER I-4 AS PEOPLE HIT THE ROAD AROUND ORLANDO, THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ABOUT 357 A GALLON TO FILL UP THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY SAID. MEMBER COUNTRIES AGREE TO RELEASE 400 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL FROM RESERVE, PRICES. BUT AS WESH 2 LINDSAY LOHAN FOUND, IT IS NOT CHANGING THE PRICE WE ALL PAY AT THE PUMP. SHE IS LIVE IN SEMINOLE COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON, AND LINDSAY LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE NOW STARTING TO FEEL THIS. SANIKA SPECIFICALLY ONES THAT DRIVE AROUND FOR WORK ALL DAY EITHER START OR END THEIR DAY AT A GAS STATION LIKE THIS ONE. ONE OF THOSE LANDSCAPE COMPANIES, THE ONES WE TALKED TO TODAY, SAY THEY ARE FEELING THE INCREASE IN PRICES, BUT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO RAISE THEIR COST TO YOU JUST YET. THAT WEEKLY CHORE MANY OUTSOURCE IS COSTING MORE. FROM LANDSCAPING COMPANIES TO RIDESHARE DRIVERS. REALLY, ANYTHING RUNNING ON FUEL IS FEELING THE HEAT. WITH PRICES UP, HOW MUCH IS IT FOR YOU GUYS TO RUN YOUR EQUIPMENT AND YOUR TRUCK ABOUT? EVERY OTHER DAY? IT’S ABOUT $90. AND WHAT WAS IT BEFORE PRICES WENT UP? ABOUT 74. THAT’S GOT TO HURT. YEAH. IT WAS IT WAS. YEAH. IT RIGHT BACK HERE. WHILE CRAIG HARTMAN JOKES ABOUT THE PAIN IN HIS TANK, HE’S FEELING TO FUEL THE TANK, IT IS TAKING A TOLL. HE’S OWNED YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD LAWN SERVICES FOR 14 YEARS AND HAS TWO CREWS THAT OPERATE A TEN MILE RADIUS IN SEMINOLE AND ORANGE COUNTIES. ONE RUNS ON GAS, ONE RUNS ON BATTERY, WITH THE PRICES AT THE PUMP, HE’S RELIEVED THAT ONE CREW DOESN’T NEED GAS. I WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO GAS AGAIN. I HAVE A SECOND CRUISE GAS, BUT WE’RE SWITCHING IT TO BATTERY DELIVERY. DRIVERS ARE ALSO HURTING. IT WAS UNDER $3 THE OTHER DAY. NOW IT’S LIKE 329, 369. SOME PLACES AND I DO UBER UBER DRIVER ERIC LOUIS PAYS $75 TO FILL UP HIS TRUCK. JUST GOT A HOPE FOR TIPS, THAT’S ALL. IN 2022, UBER, LYFT AND INSTACART ADDED FUEL FEES TO BILLS THEY HAVE NOT SAID IF THEY’RE CONSIDERING THAT AGAIN, BUT AT THAT TIME, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR GAS WAS $5. TODAY, IT’S 358. HARMON DOESN’T PLAN ON RAISING PRICES RIGHT NOW, BUT SAID HE’S DONE IT IN THE PAST AND MAY RESORT TO THAT IF THE COST OF GAS DOESN’T LEVEL OUT. INTERESTINGLY, CRAIG HARMON TOLD ME THAT MANY LANDSCAPE COMPANIES MIGHT NOT OPERATE OUTSIDE THAT TEN MILE RADIUS BECAUSE THE COST OF THEIR INSURANCE GOES UP, SO THEY MIGHT NOT BE RACKING UP AS MUCH MILEAGE IN A WEEK AS YOU
Local businesses say they are now feeling the impact of high gas prices. Craig Harmon has owned Your Neighborhood Lawn Services for 14 years, with two crews operating in a 10-mile radius in Seminole and Orange Counties. He said right now, it’s costing one of his crews about $90 every other day to pay for gas to fuel the equipment and their truck. Before the jump in prices, it was around $74. “I have two crews. One runs on gas, one runs on battery. Battery is more economical. It’s less expensive, less maintenance and less gas,” said Harmon. “I would never go back to gas again.”Delivery drivers are also hurting. “It was under $3 the other day. Now it’s like 3.69 some places. And I do Uber,” said driver Eric Lewis. He said it costs about $75 to fill up his truck. With the increased cost and no extra reimbursement, he said, “You just gotta hope for tips.” In 2022, Uber, Lyft and Instacart added fuel surcharges to their bills. They have not said if they’ll be doing that again. For perspective, at that time the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $5.02; today it’s $3.58. Harmon said he does not plan on raising prices right now, but would consider it if the cost of gas does not level out.
Local businesses say they are now feeling the impact of high gas prices.
Craig Harmon has owned Your Neighborhood Lawn Services for 14 years, with two crews operating in a 10-mile radius in Seminole and Orange Counties. He said right now, it’s costing one of his crews about $90 every other day to pay for gas to fuel the equipment and their truck. Before the jump in prices, it was around $74.
“I have two crews. One runs on gas, one runs on battery. Battery is more economical. It’s less expensive, less maintenance and less gas,” said Harmon. “I would never go back to gas again.”
Delivery drivers are also hurting.
“It was under $3 the other day. Now it’s like 3.69 some places. And I do Uber,” said driver Eric Lewis.
He said it costs about $75 to fill up his truck. With the increased cost and no extra reimbursement, he said, “You just gotta hope for tips.”
In 2022, Uber, Lyft and Instacart added fuel surcharges to their bills. They have not said if they’ll be doing that again.
For perspective, at that time the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $5.02; today it’s $3.58.
Harmon said he does not plan on raising prices right now, but would consider it if the cost of gas does not level out.
