Gasoline prices are beginning the new year much like they did a year ago -- moving higher.
The national average price of self-serve regular today is $3.295 per gallon, compared with $3.279 last week, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. That's about 7.5 cents lower than a month ago. Prices are about a penny higher than at this time a year ago.
Defying the trend of rising gas prices, the average price of diesel fuel today is $3.914 per gallon, versus $3.917 a week ago.
In the last few weeks there has been a major geographic shift in gas prices. While the highest prices remain clustered in the northeast the cheapest fuel can now be founded in the west, and in some states that at times last year, experienced some of the highest prices in the nation.
But while prices in most states went up this week by two or three cents a gallon, the average price in Colorado tumbled by eight cents. Most states in the mountain west and Great Plains states saw continued price declines at the pump.
Gasoline prices are starting 2013 the same way they did in 2012, and while the fiscal cliff deal in Washington could oil and gasoline prices in the coming weeks, AAA's Avery Ash doesn't think we'll see the steep hikes we saw last year.
“Continued economic concerns, weak demand and increased domestic crude oil production are likely to temper any seasonal price increase in the coming months,” Ash said.
The states with the most expensive gas prices this week are:
- Hawaii ($3.999)
- New York ($3.747)
- Connecticut ($3.694)
- California ($3.594)
- Alaska ($3.561)
- Vermont ($3.557)
- Maine ($3.551)
- Rhode Island ($3.549)
- Pennsylvania ($3.519)
- Massachusetts ($3.484)
The states with the lowest gas prices this week are:
- Wyoming ($2.957)
- Utah ($2.964)
- Colorado ($2.966)
- Oklahoma ($3.000)
- Idaho ($3.023)
- Minnesota ($3.034)
- Missouri ($3.035)
- New Mexico ($3.048)
- Arizona ($3.052)
- Montana ($3.088)
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