RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed House Bill 3 — the Relief at the Pump Act — into law on October 9, temporarily suspending the state’s 41-cent-per-gallon motor fuel tax through November 30 as record fuel prices driven by global energy instability continue to squeeze drivers and truckers.
Early signs suggest the relief is already filtering through to the pump. The Asheville metro area was averaging $3.94 per gallon as of Monday, October 12 — 16 cents cheaper than the week before, according to GasBuddy. The statewide average had dropped to $3.85 per gallon, down 23 cents from the prior week. The cheapest station in Asheville was listed at $3.48 per gallon.
Gas stations typically purchase fuel every two to four days, meaning the timing of deliveries affects how quickly individual stations reflect the tax change. The full effect is expected to work through pricing in the coming days.
Stein said the measure provides meaningful but limited relief and called on lawmakers to do more. “Temporarily suspending the gas tax is a small step forward. It matters to families who are just trying to make it until the next paycheck. But what matters more is what legislators do next.”
The bill came out of a special legislative session called by Republican lawmakers two days before Stein signed it. The governor suggested the session was politically motivated ahead of the November midterm elections — an allegation Republicans denied, saying the bill was intended to make things cheaper for North Carolinians amid ongoing Middle East instability. The national average for gasoline currently sits at $4.31 per gallon.
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