Utahns feeling pain at pump

WEST JORDAN — With light crude oil prices hovering near $54 a barrel, the reflection on gas prices in Utah has residents guarding their pocketbooks and warily eyeing the pump.

Gasoline prices ranged from $1.80 to around $2 for a gallon of the lowest grade of unleaded gasoline Monday, which means motorists paid as much as $70 to fill larger vehicles.

"I think it's outrageous," Dea Miller said as she filled up her minivan at a bulk-club discount pump. "What I don't understand is why it goes down and back up? Who can figure?"

Gas prices reflect the cost of crude oil, state and federal taxes, refining expenses, production levels and the gas company's markup. When one component of the production process prompts a price increase, consumers such as Miller notice a hike at the pumps.

Ron Swihart repairs ATMs throughout the state and has to pay for gas out of his own pocket. Any rise, however slight, eats into his income.

"If gas prices go up 20 cents, then I make 20 cents less," he said. "Sometimes it's frustrating having to pay more and make less."

Swihart couldn't see a way around driving for his job, and his minivan is paid for, making it unfeasible for him to purchase a smaller or more fuel-efficient vehicle without shelling out money for a car payment.

"I can't really see any other alternative," he said.

Fatu Atuaia began carpooling to work with his cousin when gas prices made it shockingly expensive to fill up his Ford Expedition. He is also following the news more closely to keep an eye on what gas prices will do next.

"I'm more self-conscious about taking unnecessary trips," Atuaia said, adding he has less money to spend on movies or new clothes.

For Julie Moyer and her husband, it's not a matter of buying fewer luxuries — they are driving less and taking fewer road trips. Moyer has wanted to visit Zion National Park in southern Utah for a while, but she and her husband have postponed that trip until gas is more affordable.

Moyer said gas prices are draining her wallet and forcing both of them to work more overtime. Her husband drives a truck, and she pilots a bus for Jordan School District.

"I, fortunately, don't have to pay for the gas in it," she said.

But she is responsible for the gas in her Pontiac sedan.