WASHINGTON and BOSTON -- The national average price of gas climbed above $2 per gallon last Thursday for the first time in 2016, and average prices have increased for 21 consecutive days, reported AAA.
March 28's average price of $2.04 per gallon is up six cents per gallon on the week and 30 cents per gallon for the month. Despite the recent increase, average gas prices remain 39 cents per gallon less than a year ago.
The rise in gasoline prices comes as refiners appear to be ramping up seasonal maintenance work ahead of the all-important summer driving season, when demand is at its highest, reported GasBuddy.com.
The gasoline price climate has heated up again as 97.7% of all U.S. gas stations are selling over $1.75 per gallon on March 28, a sharp rise from the 40.7% a month ago. Over a third of stations are found over $2 per gallon, a rise from just 10% a month ago, Boston-based GasBuddy said.
California ($2.77) remains the nation’s most expensive market for retail gasoline due to ongoing refinery challenges and increased demand, said AAA, Washington. Consumers in second-place Hawaii ($2.56) are paying 21 cents per gallon less than the market leader, and regional neighbors Nevada ($2.41), Alaska ($2.29) and Washington ($2.28) round out the top five most expensive markets for gas. On the other end of the spectrum, New Jersey ($1.83) and Missouri ($1.85) are the nation’s least expensive markets.
Retail averages in 47 states are higher on the week, and consumers in 28 states and Washington, D.C., are paying a nickel or more per gallon at the pump versus one week ago. Gas prices are up double digits in five states with the largest weekly increases experienced by drivers in Arizona (14 cents), New Hampshire (11 cents), Massachusetts (11 cents) and Connecticut (11 cents).
Prices have fallen over this same period in three states, but in less dramatic fashion. Averages are down on the week in Michigan (6 cents), North Dakota (fractions of a penny), and Minnesota (fractions of a penny).
With the exception of Hawaii (down 1 cent), consumers nationwide are paying more to refuel their vehicles month over month. The average price at the pump is up by a dime or more per gallon in the vast majority of states (48) and Washington, D.C., on the month, and motorists in 35 states are paying averages that are up by a quarter or more per gallon over this same period. The biggest jumps in price have been in states west of the Rockies: Arizona (52 cents), Nevada (44 cents), and California (40 cents).
Despite rising averages, consumers nationwide continue to see yearly savings at the pump. Drivers in 47 states and Washington, D.C., are saving more than a quarter per gallon when they refuel their vehicles, and averages are down more than 50 cents in a total of six states compared to this same date last year. Year over year, the largest savings in the price of gas are in: Alaska (down 63 cents), Illinois (down 61 cents) and Oregon (down 59 cents).
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