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Why do gas prices go up and down? | Adulting

Gas prices tend to rise in the Spring and Summer because it's hotter and more people are driving.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

We all know rising gas prices can be a painful thing to see, especially for your wallet. Living in California is not easy when it comes to buying gas...but it’s a necessity. So why do gas prices go up and down so much? Well, a lot of it is because of supply and demand.

Basically, if there’s more gas available, prices tend to be lower, if there’s less gas available and people still need it, prices get higher. Make sense? But it’s also not always that simple.

Even when the price of the crude oil that makes the gas is stable, there’s still seasonal demand and different specifications for the gas depending on the time of year. Let’s put it this way, prices tend to rise in spring and summer because more people drive around and they’re usually lower in winter because of the opposite.

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As I said, different types of gas are also provided depending on the season as well. The spring and summer gas “cocktail” doesn’t evaporate in the hotter weather, meaning the gas is more expensive to make, so its price also goes up. In the colder weather, the gas “cocktail” is cheaper.

Hopefully, that explains why gas prices tend to make us angrier in the summer!

*Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

WATCH MORE: How to budget | Adulting 101

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