Ohio motorists frustrated as gasoline prices soar at pump while cost of oil drops what's behind it?

CLEVELAND - Don't blame cleaner summer grade gasoline for the recent spike at the pump. Experts said that switchover happened in April and accounts for about a five cent increase per gallon.

So what's to blame for the spike in prices at the pumps now?

The price of oil has dropped from $106 a barrel to $80 a barrel recently, but instead of prices falling at the pump they've shot up in the last 24 hours across northeast Ohio.

Prices are dropping nationally and along the East Coast, but are soaring mainly in Ohio.

Last week, a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.43. On Monday, $3.57 and come Wednesday, it's been as high as $3.79.

The whopping spike in gas prices in the last 24 hours has people upset throughout Ohio. The pain at the pump hitting suddenly and mysteriously it seems especially here in Ohio.

Triple A  reports that the national average is $3.54. But in Cleveland the average price has soared to $3.73 a gallon.

Even many gas station owners are frustrated because if a big chain like a box store or grocery store chain raises its prices, the gas station across the street has to raise its price. Otherwise they'll sell out of the lower priced gas before the next supply, and no one will go in the store to buy anything.

Some will blame big oil companies but oil companies might not be to blame this time.

Terry Flemming with the Ohio Petroleum Council believes one of the big box store chains or grocery store chains raised their prices to make up for money lost when oil prices were high and so other gas stations have to follow along or they'll be out of gas and have no customers until the next gas tanker delivery.

Pat LaVecchia, owner of Pat's Auto Service on Detroit Road, is also on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Petroleum Retailers Association.

LaVecchia said the spike at the pump came as a shock to him and makes no sense, especially because the price of oil dropped 40 percent and should've meant about a 30 to 50 cent drop per gallon of gas at the pump.

LaVecchia believes big oil companies will blame a distribution or refinery problem in the Midwest, but said it's probably a case of just trying to make bigger profits.

But  Flemming said so far no problems are being reported along supply lines.

Gas station owners like LaVecchia said they're lucky to make a nickel per gallon of gas, while credit card companies get between nine and 14 cents per gallon.

Federal and state taxes get a large chunk and oil companies take the rest of the profits.

But LaVecchia said some gas stations will sell gas at below cost. While you might think you're saving money, it could mean you're actually spending more. That's because it's a trick to get you to go inside the store to buy other things, like paying $2 for a 20 ounce pop or $3 for a gallon of milk.

Oil companies, which have been making billions of dollars in profits, are now seeing a 5 percent drop in the amount of fuel being used because people aren't using as much gas. It's thanks to people driving fuel efficient cars, riding bikes or using public transportation.