With gas prices continuing their relentless climb, San Diego drivers scramble to find ways to absorb the economic blow.
The financial pain is especially sharp for rideshare drivers like Abdi Warsame of San Carlos. While topping off his Toyota at a station in downtown San Diego on Tuesday morning, he estimated he’s paid close to $1,000 more on fuel in the past month.
His temporary solution?
“I’m driving less and shopping around for cheaper gas,” the Uber driver said, shortly after taking a customer to the airport. “Before, when I put in $20 (at the pump), I could get about 5 gallons. Right now, I put in $20 and get 3 gallons.”
Over at the Vons Express in Pacific Beach, business was brisk, largely because the price for gallon of regular stood at $5.39 on Tuesday if customers paid cash or with a debit card. That’s nearly 56 cents cheaper than the average price of $5.947 for the entire San Diego area, according to AAA.
A growing number of customers have downloaded apps, such as GasBuddy and AAA, that show which stations in a given area offer the lowest prices.
That’s what Christian Hodges is doing. “I saw that it was less than $6 here” at the Vons station on Garnet Avenue, the 43-year-old said as he gassed up his Kia Optima.
Many convenience stores such as 7-11, grocery stores, warehouse outlets like Costco and gas stations such as Shell and Chevron offer member rewards points that customers can apply to fuel purchases.
And with prices up $1.26 in San Diego since Feb. 28, when joint U.S. and Israeli air strikes commenced against the regime in Iran, a growing number of customers are using their loyalty cards to take the edge off.
“I do my (grocery) shopping there anyway,” said Patrick Rooney, who used his Vons card to fill up his 2015 Lexus with premium. He saved 50 cents a gallon, paying $5.29 instead of $5.79. “I probably appreciate it a little more now,” the retiree from Encinitas said.
The price spike has really walloped Alise Jonville because she drives a 2014 Audi Q5 that runs on diesel. Last week, average diesel prices in San Diego soared past $7 a gallon for the first time. As of Tuesday, the price had increased to $7.467, according to AAA.
“It’s just crazy, it’s super expensive,” Jonville said. “Just the other day I was thinking (diesel) used to be $3.50 (a gallon). How did we get here?”
The 28-year-old marketer, who spent $117.17 for 16.5 gallons on Tuesday, said she’s doing side hustles and using discount cards to help offset her higher fuel costs. “I’m driving slower,” Jonville said. “I think before I step on the gas, like when I speed up on the highway.”
The Auto Club of Southern California has long recommended that drivers avoid “jack rabbit starts” and hard braking to optimize fuel efficiency, as well as driving at steady speeds. AAA also advises avoiding carrying excess weight in your vehicles, making sure tires are properly inflated and consolidating trips.
“I’m not driving as much,” said Sylvia Alvarran, a 29-year-old teacher who lives in downtown San Diego. “Unfortunately, our quality of life is going down. Can’t afford to take those trips to the park or to the beach. It’s restricting (driving to) necessities only — like going to work or traveling to your doctor’s appointment.”
Another option: Even when prices aren’t surging, there’s often a wide range of prices at California gas stations. Unbranded, or generic, gasoline is usually less expensive than name-brand fuel — sometimes by margins of about $1 a gallon.
“People need to move, they need to drive,” said Issa Meamari, manager of the Petromerica gas station on the corner of 16th Street and F in downtown San Diego. “But I know that some customers who came twice a week, now they come once a week.”
Some wonder if high gas prices will boost sales of electric vehicles.
Perhaps, auto analysts say, if the war in Iran drags on and global oil imports from the Strait of Hormuz remain bottled up.
But as of last week, polling from Edmunds.com showed just a slight increase among car shoppers expressing interest in considering an EV and hybrids.
“This points to affordability remaining the primary factor shaping vehicle purchase decisions right now,” said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ head of insights.
After all, the average transaction price for a new vehicle reached $48,766 in February, compared to $45,596 in February 2022, according to Edmunds data.
“While higher gas prices can spur interest in electrified vehicles, they typically need to be sustained or more pronounced to drive a meaningful shift,” Caldwell said. “Right now, many consumers appear to view the latest spike as temporary.”
Craig Murphy of Pacific Beach has his own hack.
He mostly keeps his gasoline-powered 2008 Porsche Carrera in the garage and for “95% of our travel needs,” the 41-year-old and his family use an electric golf cart — fully registered with the DMV, with a license plate — for short trips around the neighborhood. For longer trips, they use an electric hybrid.
“Luckily, we don’t have much fuel exposure,” Murphy said.
One restaurant chain is offering customers discounts tied to the price of gasoline.
Snooze Eatery, which specializes in breakfast, brunch and lunch, has a promotion that runs through Friday that trims the amount of a bill by the average price of a gallon of gas in each state. Given California’s high gas prices, that equates to nearly $6 off your check.
The Denver-based restaurant has 70 locations across the country, including two in the San Diego area — in Hillcrest and La Jolla.
“There is a direct correlation: When gas prices go up and we see restaurant traffic go down,” said CEO Josh Kern in a phone interview. “So we’re trying to do everything to keep people coming into the restaurants and help as much as we can, to be a good partner out there because we know it’s a pain in the neck right now.”
All Snooze customers have to do is mention the promotion to get the discount. The offer is valid for in-restaurant dining only and excludes alcohol purchases. So sorry, that Bloody Mary in the morning does not count.
