PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The national average price for regular gasoline has dropped below $4 a gallon for the first time since July, offering some relief to drivers. But for businesses that rely on fuel to operate, the impact of higher gas prices is still being felt.
For Bryant Edwards, owner of Olympic Land and Lawn, fluctuating gas prices are an expense he has little control over.
"The price of gas going up and going down, I have no control over, so I'm at the mercy of the pump," Edwards said.
Olympic Land and Lawn travels to dozens of homes daily to maintain customers' yards. But Edwards said higher fuel costs have forced him to make tough choices during the landscaping season.
"We no longer go into Norfolk. We don't go into Virginia Beach, and we've cut back some of the areas in Suffolk that we cover because of the fuel prices," Edwards said.
According to AAA, the national average last fell below $4 a gallon on July 19, when it was $3.99. It climbed back to $4 the next day and remained at or above that price for 113 consecutive days.
See previous coverage: Gas prices fall below $4 as more oil flows, but experts warn relief may not last
That was the second-longest stretch of gas prices at or above $4 on record, according to AAA. The longest was 158 days, from March 6 to Aug. 10, 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The uncertainty surrounding fuel prices also makes it difficult for Edwards to plan his business expenses.
"It makes me feel, I don't know, a little uneasy because you never know what the price of gas is, and that's one of my biggest expenses other than labor," Edwards said.
Filling up the company's truck costs between $80 and $100 a week, Edwards said. The lawn mowers and weed eaters also require about $45 in gas two or three times a week.
Those expenses have added up. Edwards said Olympic Land and Lawn had spent just over $2,400 on fuel at this point last year. This year, the company had spent just over $8,800.
See previous coverage: Gas is about to drop below $4 for the first time since July
AAA said seasonal factors, including cheaper winter-blend gasoline, lower demand and increased refinery production as seasonal maintenance wraps up, are helping bring prices down. Lower crude oil prices are also putting downward pressure on what drivers pay at the pump.
Edwards said he would be comfortable with gas prices between $2.50 and $3 a gallon.
"Anything above $3 starts impacting the bottom line of the business," Edwards said.
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