Gas prices hit a historic high: What's driving them up?

“The skew is always bullish, but this is really early for such a one-sided money flow,” he says.

What can consumers expect in the coming months? The bad news, says Green, is that gas prices will continue to rise for the next couple of months.

“Gas prices will continue to rise through April until the seasonal transition process comes to an end,” he says.

But there’s good news: The snowstorm that swept across the northeast Feb. 9 and 10 didn’t damage any pipelines or refineries and kept people off the roads, softening demand and potentially dampening gas prices.

And after last year’s $4-a-gallon-gas-fears, consumers can rest easy that this year’s national average won’t hit the $4 mark. “We’re not expecting that to be the case with the national average,” says Green. “We currently believe it will peak at a lower price than last year,” when gas hit $3.94 a gallon in April.

(No consolation to consumers in some parts of the country, like California, where average prices are already at $4.05.)

Nonetheless, Americans are feeling the pinch. The amount of money they're spending on gas – as a percentage of household income is at nearly 30-year highs. Only 2008 was worse, according to EIA data released last week. In 2012, the average US household spent $2,912 on gas, or almost 4 percent of income before taxes, according to EIA estimates.

Whether or not that’s changing Americans’ driving habits is up for debate.

“We have seen a move toward more fuel-efficient cars, carpooling … using less fuel, and finding gas stations with the best price,” says Green. “But at the same time ... what we find is when gas prices go up, a lot of people have to accept the higher costs.”

Kloza is more skeptical.

“Lest we think that Americans are fed up with high gasoline prices and won’t stand it any more, just take a look at January 2013 vehicle sales,” he says. 

“Leading the surge: Ford F-1 vehicles and Chevy Silverados. Hardly fuel-efficient vehicles.”

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