Local businesses are feeling the impact of rising diesel costs, one of the impacts of the war on Iran.
Local heating and air company Swift Brothers tells WRAL News the cost to fill up the tank for their service fleet has skyrocketed since the war began.
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“Typically, depending on the vehicle, we could fill up for around $90 or so,” said HVAC operations director Ridge Stanley. “Now it's $150 plus every time, and usually these trucks have to be filled up sometimes once a day.”
Stanley said Swift Brothers has hundreds of service vehicles, and the steep spike in fuel prices is not something the company budgeted for at the beginning of the year.
“We're trying to help the customer understand that,” Stanley said. “You know, when we come out, we're there to take care of them, but what we have to charge for our repairs is helping make up for that.”
With temperatures reaching the 80s and sometimes 90s in recent weeks, the volume of service calls to companies like Swift Brothers for HVAC repairs and installations has increased. Stanley said they are expecting more calls as summer approaches.
For now, Stanley said Swift Brothers is absorbing the cost and will do so for as long as they can. However, that could change if prices don’t drop soon.
“We do understand it's not the customer's fault,” Stanley said. “But at some point in time, for any business, prices are going to start creeping up again. At some point in time, we probably will have to pass it on, depending on how long this gas increase happens.”
According to AAA, the national average for gas is still slightly above $4 a gallon. In North Carolina, it's $3.75. The average diesel price in North Carolina is $5.60.
The WRAL FuelTracker can help you find the least expensive gas in your area.
