Your SLO County Uber will cost more thanks to high gas prices. Here’s how much
Get your wallet ready — Uber announced Thursday it will begin to charge customers a new fee aimed at helping drivers suffering from record-high prices at the pump.
“We know the unprecedented spike in gas prices and rising energy costs have affected how much money you’re taking home,” Uber wrote in an email to registered drivers Thursday. “To help, we’re rolling out temporary fuel assistance on Wednesday, March 16, for all drivers and couriers, including those with electric vehicles.”
The new fuel assistance fee will add a 55-cent surcharge per Uber ride and a 45-cent surcharge to deliveries in San Luis Obispo, with 100% of that charge going to drivers’ wallets.
According to the company, this will translate to about $22 extra for 40 rides or $18 for completing 40 deliveries.
The fee is temporary and will be re-evaluated after 60 days, according to Uber. The surcharge amount varies by city, depending upon average trip distances and local gas prices.
SLO had the highest of the two possible surcharge amounts for both rides (45 cents vs. 55 cents) and deliveries (35 cents vs. 45 cents).
Gas prices in SLO County continue to rise
As of Thursday, San Luis Obispo County had the fourth highest gas prices in the United States, with a gallon of regular costing an average of $5.851, according to GasBuddy.com.
Prices have somewhat plateaued this week, with the average cost of a gallon coming in at $5.843 on Saturday — just under a one-cent difference from Thursday’s average.
But prior to that, gas prices were rising at an almost unheard of rate, increasing roughly 93 cents in the first two weeks of March alone.
For a comparison, a driver filling up a Toyota Tacoma (the most popular car in SLO County in 2020) that has a fuel tank of 21 gallons, pays almost $20 more to fill up their car this week than they did at the end of February.
Depending on the amount of driving one does, especially for Uber or other delivery drivers, this can translate to a huge pain at the pump.
Meanwhile, Uber says it is encouraging drivers to switch to electric vehicles by offering incentives and benefits to those who make the change.
This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 5:59 PM.
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