Average Gas Price Back Over $3.70 A Gallon

For yet another week, the cheapest gas is found in the center of the country while prices are climbing in the southeast.

Gasoline prices, meanwhile, are trending higher as crude oil fluctuates around the $100 a barrel level. But while a number of U.S. states get their gas from U.S. oil, other states – notably those on the east and west coasts, use more expensive brent crude, which remains consistently higher than U.S. crude.

The national average price of self-serve regular today is $3.710 a gallon, up from $3.695 last Friday, according to AAA. That's 17 cents higher than a month ago and nearly a dollar more than 12 months ago.

The price of diesel fuel is $3.964 a gallon, less than a penny higher than last week's price.

Prices drifting

“Commodities markets have been indecisive as to what impact global debt concerns should have on prices,” said Avery Ash, AAA's manager of federal relations.”Oil futures are traded in U.S. dollars, and as the currency strengthens relative to those abroad, the relative price of oil for those outside of the U.S. becomes more expensive. Oil futures become a less attractive investment and prices are pressured downward.”

A wild card affecting energy prices is the debt ceiling issue, which at this point will likely result in a downgrade of U.S. debt. Despite fears of a negative impact on the economy, there has been no large scale sell off in oil. Prices remain higher than many analysts think market fundamentals justify.

The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:

• Hawaii ($4.093)
• Alaska ($4.021)
• Connecticut ($4.055)
• New York ($3.966)
• Washington, DC ($3.922)
• Illinois ($3.891)
• Rhode Island ($3.860)
• Michigan ($3.823)
• Maine ($3.821)
• California ($3.817)

The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:

• Arizona ($3.384)
• Utah ($3.504)
• Colorado ($3.512)
• South Carolina ($3.520)
• Wyoming ($3.542)
• Nevada ($3.557)
• Mississippi ($3.558)
• Missouri ($3.560)
• New Mexico ($3.573)
• Tennessee ($3.580)