YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a greater influx of people opting to work from home and with higher fuel costs, it may have some seeking to use the option a little longer.
"I think it's really convenient; I love not having a commute," said Barbara Schindo, media relations specialist for Penn State Health.
"It's great that I don't have to get up very early to commute and start my work day and when the work day is done, I'm already home!"
Schindo has worked full time since her executives opted for some employees to work from home during the early onset of the pandemic two years ago. She says it's been convenient and a better incentive financially with current gas prices.
"I drive my car so little that I actually just got my first oil change in about 18 months yesterday, so it saves me not only on gas but also car maintenance," Schindo explained.
Others have it a bit tougher, like Doran Horning of Dover.
“Diesel is a lot higher than regular fuel so, it’s definitely expensive to fill up," Horning explained.
"The other day I filled up, and I thought 'Well, I don't have a pick-up truck, my fuel bill is almost 100 bucks, how can this be?'" he said.
Horning says he works in a hybrid role with a few days being on the road and others remote. He says he's had to tack on another $30 on his gas re-fills.
The burden has pushed state officials across the commonwealth to make incentives to ease the costs.
Earlier this month, Governor Tom Wolf along with multiple state governors called on Congress to pass legislation to suspend the federal gas tax until the end of the year.
On a state level, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman (R-Centre) introduced a bill during this month proposing to cut the state's gas tax by one-third. State Senator Corman's proposed "Consumer Gas Prices Relief Act," has received 15 bi-partisan senate legislators signing on as supporters.
On Wednesday, State Representative Tony DeLuca (D-Allegheny) introduced legislation to suspend the state's tax on gasoline and diesel for the next six months.
Dr. Marc Tomljamovich, the dean of the Lombardo College of Business at Millersville University says the issue may be harder for some than others.
He says with the current pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other things, uncertainty is here to say and people will start making decisions for their own betterment.
"Is it going to the office 9a-5p Monday through Friday, and spending a lot of money to put your kind into daycare and spending a lot of gas to get to that place? A lot of families are rightly saying 'you know what? That's not what I want to sign up for my life.'"