By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.Com
August 6, 2010
With the summer driving season in its final weeks, the price of gas continues to rise, albeit, slowly.
The national average price of self-serve regular is $2.767 a gallon, up about two and a half cents from last Friday, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. A month ago, gas was about four cents cheaper.
The average price of diesel fuel is $2.965 a gallon, compared with $2.951 a week ago.
Even though demand is slack, gas prices are being pushed higher with rising crude oil prices. This week the price of oil went over $80 a barrel for the first time in nearly three months.
According to the Federal Highway Administration's vehicle miles traveled (VMT) data, July and August historically are the months in which Americans drive the most miles. Fuel demand during these two months provides the support for higher fuel prices in the summer. The Labor Day travel holiday period, considered the "unofficial" end of summer, is about five weeks away. Labor Day weekend also signals the end of the summer driving season.
"Over the next four weeks, motorists may experience the high end of fuel prices for the remainder of 2010 as fuel prices tend to decline sharply during the months of September and October," said Andrew Delmege, AAA's manager of regulatory affairs. "Of course, this depends on a lack of major tropical storm activity in the Gulf Coast region, easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and financial data (a stronger dollar) keeping the price of crude oil stable."
The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:
Alaska ($3.528)
Hawaii ($3.494)
California ($3.155)
Washington ($3.107)
Oregon ($3.018)
Nevada ($2.950)
Idaho ($2.928)
Utah ($2.892)
New York ($2.890)
Connecticut ($2.885)
The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:
South Carolina ($2.551)
Missouri ($2.573)
New Jersey ($2.594)
Mississippi ($2.597)
Tennessee ($2.601)
Alabama ($2.606)
Virginia ($2.614)
Texas ($2.622)
Louisiana ($2.631)
Georgia ($2.637)
