After falling for two straight weeks, the nation’s average price of gasoline increased, rising 1.6 cents from a week ago to $3.79 per gallon. The national average is down 3.0 cents from a month ago but 11.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average diesel price fell 0.9 cents last week to 4.42 per gallon, 58.6 cents lower than one year ago.
The West Coast and the Corn Belt saw the brunt of last week’s increases. More than ten states saw prices rise by more than ten cents per gallon compared to last week, while some, like Iowa and Minnesota, have seen average prices spike by over 30 cents per gallon. However, GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan says, “We should see more price decreases for most of the nation in the weeks ahead, barring further refinery disruptions and hurricane season.”
U.S. retail gasoline demand saw a hefty 3.9 percent decrease last week, as post-Labor Day travel appeared to drop significantly.