ORLANDO, Fla. – If it feels like your money is disappearing faster at the gas pump, you’re not imagining it. Gas prices have jumped sharply in just the past week and the spike in fuel prices is rippling through lawn care businesses and your wallet.
“Those higher gas prices are really adding up for many in Central Florida. Now it’s not only costing more to fill the tank — but also more for lawn care.”
It’s a problem nobody wants — higher gas prices. Since the war in Iran and the rise in crude oil prices, gas prices have surged. The national average for a gallon of regular gas has jumped nearly 36 cents in just the past week, according to AAA.
“Normally I filled the F-250 with $80. The other day I said, ‘Don’t — I might have to put $100 in.’ I put $100 in and didn’t even get three-quarters of a tank,” David Santiago said.
It’s costing you more to fill up your tank — and it may also cost more to maintain your yard.
“Depending on the size of the job you’re doing, a 10 or 15% raise across the board could be thousands,” said Santiago.
Santiago is the owner of Quiet Guys Lawn Service. He says the ripple effect of higher fuel prices hits every part of his business — from trucks and equipment to the suppliers they rely on.
“The farms that grow and cut the grass for us — the grass we install — that’s a cost. Their equipment needs gas. Then the semis that bring our deliveries of sod pallets — they’re charging us more because of the cost of gas,” Santiago said.
Santiago says that’s why he’s adjusting staffing and scheduling for each job carefully to keep costs down for customers.
“If we have to make more than one stop in a day, you want to make them specific routes so you’re saving — instead of going to the furthest one first and then the closest one. You just have to map it out,” he said.
According to AAA, the average price in Orlando is now around $3.75 for a gallon of regular gas — three cents higher than the state’s average. And for businesses like Santiago’s — which run trucks on diesel — the cost can be even higher.