DECATUR - With gasoline prices in Decatur hovering about $3.50 a gallon and higher, motorists such as Emma Patton say they are feeling a bit more pain at the pump each time they fill up.

"It seems like I'm only working for gas," Patton said Wednesday as she filled up her minivan at Billingsley Amoco, 2015 Mount Zion Road.

The Decatur woman said as gas prices and higher utility costs have eaten into more of her paycheck in recent months, she's cut back on leisurely driving and started to consider taking public transportation to her job in Mount Zion.

But Bob Wilson, who needs to drive as part of his job as a construction worker, said he has no choice but to absorb the higher gas costs and hope they go down soon.

"I just think it's ridiculous," Wilson said as he filled up his truck.

Unfortunately, fuel industry experts say prices likely will remain "ridiculous" for the foreseeable future, especially with the price of crude oil hitting nearly $120 per barrel this week.

"The speculative oil market has driven oil to unheard of levels," said Bill Fleischli, executive vice president of the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association.

Fleischli said service stations are forced to charge more if they don't want to lose money. Gas stations are facing higher delivery charges and wholesale gas prices hovering about $3 per gallon with 40 to 50 cents of taxes making up much of the rest of the price per gallon at the pump.

"You're at a point where ¦ there's not much profit for the retailer, and it's stressing for the consumer," he said.

Some local car dealerships say that while their sales have not been affected by the higher gasoline prices, they are seeing customers more focused on gas mileage.

"Over the past couple of months, fuel efficiency has come to the forefront when people are looking at a car," said Dan Kee, Honda-Hyundai sales manager at Bob Brady Auto Mall.

Kee said customers seem more interested in Honda models, especially because of gas mileage, yet not everyone with that concern is opting for a hybrid vehicle.

He said that while the Honda Civic hybrid offers 45 miles per gallon and the normal Civic offers 36 miles per gallon, the hybrid also costs $3,000 more, keeping some buyers away.

Fuel efficiency also is becoming more important to customers at Miles Chevrolet, said Todd Rogers, general sales manager.

Higher gas prices have pushed some customers to consider moving to compact cars or hybrids, but there are still many buyers who out of necessity or preference continue to purchase bigger vehicles.

"We're still selling full-sized trucks and full-sized SUVs, and I don't know that the customers aren't aware of the gas prices, it's just not that that's their primary buying motive," Rogers said.

Whether gas prices inching closer to $4 per gallon this summer could change more habits of motorists remains to be seen.

Fleischli said gas consumption in Illinois is down between 1 percent and 1.5 percent than at this time last year and continued decreased demand could bring prices back down somewhat, but he isn't expecting it.

He said gas prices likely will remain a big thorn in the side of motorists until the United States conducts more oil drilling exploration, builds more gas refineries or takes other big steps toward energy independence.

"I don't see anything in the near future that's going to turn this thing around," Fleischli said.

Mary Tallon can be reached at mtallon@herald-review.com or 421-7984.