Gas prices have hit again; and this time it has to do with your trash.

While Allen and Arlington have already raised their residential rates, Dallas, Garland, DeSoto and Plano may soon follow suit.

Nash Odza said he is spending more than ever on the garbage pickup for his two Allen restaurants.

"If we try to raise prices, customers complain," he said.

For now, he said he is simply eating the costs.

But Odza isn't alone. Homeowners are feeling the pinch, too.

After facing gas bill $400,000 over budget, Garland is considering hiking its rates by nearly $2 a month.

Similar rate hikes for Allen homeowners are already in effect. Businesses there are especially feeling the pain since their bills are tied directly to the price of diesel. As the price rises at the pump, so too do the trash fees.

"Trash is one of those things that have to go away and the price has to be paid," said Donna Kliewer, the city of Allen's waste service manager. "So, it is hitting everybody's pockets."

Many garbage companies are charging fuel fees for the first time.

Community Waste Disposal is one of the area's largest trash haulers. They installed computers on trucks to track gas usage and mileage and are even considering filling its tires with nitrogen gas to make them more fuel efficient.

"Five years ago, we would have never thought of it," said Greg Roemer, with Community Waste Disposal. "It was just not something important to do when fuel was 60 cents a gallon."

Still, many people like Odza said they are left feeling as if their holding the bag.

"We're a small business," he said. "We're not like big companies that make a lot of money. [We're] just trying to make a living, trying to survive."

E-mail jbetz@wfaa.com