Gas Prices Gain Another Eight Cents In Last Week

There appears to be no end in sight for the rise in gasoline prices, as consumers saw the price of fuel gain another eight cents a gallon at the pump this week.

The average price of self-serve regular gas today is $3.815 a gallon, up from $3.739 seven days ago, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. The price is up more than 26 cents a gallon in the last month.

Diesel fuel prices rose another 10 cents a gallon, with the average price at $4.125.

The rising price of gas has had a sharp impact on demand. A midweek poll by Reuters/Ipsos shows 60 percent of U.S. consumers are driving less, or cutting back in other areas to pay for more expensive gas.

An energy analyst for Goldman Sachs this week said the price of oil is being pushed higher by speculators, and that market fundamentals do not support the cost. Crude oil prices fell sharply after those comments, but had begun climbing again by the end of the week.

Consumers can see the result at the gas pump, where two more states, Illinois and Connecticut, now have average gas prices over $4 a gallon.

The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:

• Hawaii ($4.464)
• California ($4.191)
• Alaska ($4.170)
• Illinois ($4.036)
• Connecticut ($4.003)
• Washington, DC ($3.999)
• New York ($3.979)
• Washington ($3.907)
• Oregon ($3.841)
• Maine ($3.810)

The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:

• Wyoming ($3.540)
• Colorado ($3.589)
• Montana ($3.611)
• New Jersey ($3.631)
• South Carolina ($3.635)
• Utah ($3.636)
• Tennessee ($3.658)
• Mississippi ($3.666)
• Oklahoma ($3.678)
• Missouri ($3.681)