North Carolina has the lowest gas prices in the country. Some say it’s still too high :: WRAL.com

More than a week after North Carolina lawmakers voted to suspend the gas tax, the state now has the lowest gas prices on average in the nation.

Several people WRAL spoke with Sunday are still not satisfied.

“They’re still high. I still have a lot of money left in my paycheck,” said gas station customer Hayden Epperson.

As of Sunday, a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Raleigh cost an average of $3.62, nearly 35 cents less than a week ago. A gallon of diesel in Raleigh costs $5.62, about 28 cents less than a week ago.

However, it wasn’t lost on Epperson how much lower prices were a year ago. On October 18, 2025, gasoline cost $2.78 and diesel $3.52.

“It’s ridiculous. It takes half a tank to get to work. Half a tank to get back. And that’s not good,” Epperson said.

High costs don’t just affect commuters who drive more than 30 minutes to work. Lisa Penny, the wife of a farmer who grows produce in Benson, said high diesel prices cap a tough year for agriculture.

“Having to buy diesel in bulk has been very, very painful and it has been difficult for us as farmers to keep the prices of all our products low,” Penny said.

Although the gas tax suspension was signed into law on Friday, October 9, it did not begin until a few days later. Many were faced with the same prices for days after signing. Oil analyst Patrick De Haan said there could be several reasons for this.

“It is difficult to lower prices immediately when stations are already paying a much higher price for the fuel in their tanks,” De Haan said. “It takes a few days for stations to sell their existing taxed inventory before they can purchase the tax-free fuel. That’s why it took about a week to fully realize the tax suspension.”

>> In-depth: Answering your questions about North Carolina’s gas tax suspension

De Haan said a common misunderstanding about the gas tax is that gasoline should be exactly 41 cents lower since the tax holiday was enacted, but he cautioned that the tax holiday is only a small factor in the price people pay for fuel.

“The tax is suspended, but that does not prevent the price of oil from suddenly increasing,” De Haan said. “The price of oil moves every day and last week it increased quite significantly. It’s one of the rare times in my career where, beyond a few days, it’s impossible to predict because it’s not the normal ebb and flow of the market at the moment.

De Haan added that the ongoing war with Iran makes prices extremely volatile and it is possible they could rise again even without the tax.

“These are geopolitical tensions and developments that can arise at any time,” added De Haan. “It depends on what happens between the United States, Iran, Ukraine and Russia.”

The gas tax is expected to come back into effect on December 1st.