Consumers feeling the pinch: Philly-area gas average now $5.10 per gallon

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Summer is expected to be much more expensive this year, with many consumers already feeling the pinch.

"Prices are going up and I think we're being gouged," said Yvette Miller of the Overbrook section of Philadelphia.

Groceries are just one part of the equation and Miller said she thinks it's insane.

"I think they're sky-high," said Miller. "I just came out of the Acme and I noticed the prices have really gone up, but it's a necessity though."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports food is up 10.8% since April of 2021, but energy is up a whopping 30.3% and that includes oil.

"It used to take me like $20 to fill my tank and now it's closer to $45 to $50 every week and a half or so because I drive a lot for work," said Katrina Bussel of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

According to AAA, the Philadelphia five-county gas average is $5.10 a gallon. It is currently the highest average ever recorded for the area.

"Despite record-high gas prices, there is still this demand for gasoline for driving," said Jana Tidwell, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "It is summer, people are ready to travel. It has been two years since people have had a normal summer."

And it's not just the cost of transportation that is causing some to change their summer plans. The cost of everything is up 8.3% since April of last year.

"We've scaled back a little," said Jessica Grossnickle of Wynnewood, Pa. "We've planned one week away and maybe a weekend, whereas we would usually kind of spur of the moment think, 'Let's go for a few weekends.' But now, everything, it's not just gas, it's not just groceries, it's finding a dog sitter, it is planning to be away from work."

To add some context, the price of gas a year ago was $3.16 a gallon.