Motorists found fuel prices little changed at the pump this week as there were offsetting factors influencing energy prices.
The national average price of self-serve regular today is $3.389 per gallon, up slightly from $3.382 last Friday, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. That's 14 cents a gallon more than what motorists were paying a month ago.
The average price of diesel fuel today is $3.863 per gallon, down from $3.870 a week ago.
President Obama's State of the Union speech Tuesday focused attention on domestic energy production, pointing out that U.S. reliance oil imports is falling, and calling for expanded use of U.S. natural gas.
The price of crude oil continues to face pressure from opposite directions. Worries about Europe's debt crisis tend to dampen pries, while concern Iran might interrupt oil supplies from the Persian Gulf tend to push prices higher. As a result, prices haven't taken any strong direction either way.
"While crude oil prices have declined slightly, gasoline prices have remained relatively flat," said Avery Ash, AAA's manager of federal relations. "This comes as the potential upward pressure of expected refinery shutdowns has been offset by downward pressure from continuing demand destruction."
The states with the most expensive gas this week are:
- Hawaii ($4.093)
- Alaska ($3.878)
- California ($3.725)
- New York ($3.703)
- Connecticut ($3.698)
- Maine ($3.534)
- Rhode Island ($3.530)
- Vermont($3.529)
- Florida ($3.520)
- Pennsylvania ($3.513)
The states with the least expensive gas this week are:
- Wyoming ($2.985)
- Utah ($3.049)
- Colorado ($2.996)
- Montana ($3.059)
- Idaho ($3.096)
- New Mexico ($3.097)
- Oklahoma ($3.126)
- Kansas ($3.188)
- Missouri ($3.149)
- Iowa($3.196)
