The price of gasoline is made up of four factors: taxes, distribution and marketing, the cost of refining, and crude oil prices. Of these four factors, the price of crude oil accounts for nearly 70% of the price you pay at the pump, so when they fluctuate (as they often do), we see the effects.

Who regulates the price of gas?

Federal, state, and local government taxes also contribute to the retail price of gasoline. The federal tax on motor gasoline is 18.40 cents per gallon, which includes an excise tax of 18.30 cents per gallon and the federal Leaking Underground Storage Tank fee of 0.1 cents per gallon.

What affects the price of gas?

To understand how gas prices are set, consider the core factors of supply, demand, inflation, and taxes. While supply and demand get the most focus (and the most blame), inflation and taxes also play a part in increases in the cost to consumers. The law of supply and demand has a predictable impact on the price of gas.